20 May 2013
Reviews
Agent - Kingdom of Fear Album Review
17 May 2013 // A review by Petros
Hiatus was my introduction to Agent. I first heard it in the background of one of those skate, surf and snow extreme sports shows that were on television before the advent of Emo and fast internet.
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Tiny Ruins - Haunts EP Review
16 May 2013 // A review by tonymcdonald
Holes In My Pockets is the first song from the Tiny Ruins EP and sets the tone extremely well. I must stress that you really need to be in the correct mood for this song and thankfully, I was.
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Penknife Glides - Pleasure Thru Tears
14 May 2013 // A review by Petros
Straight out of 80’s and onto your stereo, Penknife Glides are back and bring you their newest release. Pleasure Thru Tears is a collection of songs written by the band between ’81 and ’85 as punk pulled itself to pieces and began its twenty year hibernation.
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The Phoenix Foundation - Fandango Album Review
12 May 2013 // A review by elchicko
No relation to the pro wrestler, The Phoenix Foundation bring us their newest collaboration of music Fandango. The first track Black Mould sets up the whole album, a hypnotic, lazy boy afternoon in the sun experience, preferably with a view of glistening snowy mountain tops, which fortunately is never to far away when you are in the South Island.
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Fire At Will - The Way Out Album Review
12 May 2013 // A review by Petros
Rising from the ashes of Auckland’s My Asylum and South Africa’s The Narrow, multinational Hard Rock act Fire at Will are taking New Zealand and South Africa by storm. Citing Lost Prophets and Breaking Benjamin as influences, their sound is a tight, hard hitting mix of the best parts of these two iconic bands.
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Hurricane Kids - Live It Up EP Review
11 May 2013 // A review by JohnS
School holidays for my family almost always involve a decent amount of time traveling via the car and I always use this time to introduce my boys to new music to expand their every growing playlists on their MP3 players. The latest EP from the Hurricane Kids looks as if it may be another enjoyable addition.
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The Hamma - Panzer Tank Album Review
11 May 2013 // A review by terry666
The Hamma play an old school energy driven raw rock n roll with a heavy metal edge. They formed around 1984 and their sound is very reminiscent of that era.
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TREi - Satellites LP Review
30 Apr 2013 // A review by Dilemma
I’ll be honest I didn’t even know NZ had Drum n Bass DJ’s let alone a whole industry and a producer who was on to his second album, but that’s why I love NZ, because of our diversity of amazing music. I’m going to put it out there pretty quick that I’m not usually a fan of the dirty drum n bass thing, but I was given the Album Satellites to take a listen to and I was highly impressed.
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Alizarin Lizard - Do You Just Want Me To Watch You? Album Review
29 Apr 2013 // A review by elchicko
The beautiful aspect of music is its charming way of bringing out nostalgic value to the listener. From the first chord, to the Damon Albarn strain radiating across the sound waves, the Lizards hit the right chord.
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Cosmic Road Trip Vol.3 Album Review
29 Apr 2013 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
The mission statement was simple; a collection of the best local tracks to celebrate a beautiful summer of 2013. Cosmic have searched far and wide to collate the best songs to set the mood for Volume 3 of their Road Trip series.
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29 Apr 2013 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
The mission statement was simple; a collection of the best local tracks to celebrate a beautiful summer of 2013. Cosmic have searched far and wide to collate the best songs to set the mood for Volume 3 of their Road Trip series.
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8 Foot Sativa - 10 Years of Sativa Album Review
23 Apr 2013 // A review by terry666
8 Foot Sativa. What can I say, has it only been 10 years?
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The Upbeats - Primitive Technique Album Review
21 Apr 2013 // A review by Alistar3000
Wellington drum and bass duo The Upbeats have forged a reputation over the past 9 years for their hard hitting, dance inducing tracks and they’ve kept to that winning formula on their latest release, Primitive Technique. It’s packed full of 14 huge tracks, ranging from the jaunty One Step, to the almost menacing opening track Beyond Reality, with a few mellower tracks thrown in for good measure.
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Tahuna Breaks - Live @ San Francisco Bathhouse, Wellington - 13/04/2013
14 Apr 2013 // A review by Alistar3000
I’ve been listening to the new Tahuna Breaks album, Shadow Light, a bit lately and got to go see the release show for it at Wellington’s San Francisco Bathhouse on Saturday. I’d enjoyed the album, which is quite energetic, upbeat and fun, so I was expecting a pretty good show from the Auckland 7-piece.
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Tattletale Saints - How Red is the Blood Album Review
11 Apr 2013 // A review by tonymcdonald
The first thing that struck me about the album How Red Is The Blood was the attention to detail on the CD packaging and artwork, very professional and a pleasure to receive. Tattletale Saints have an array of traditional instruments such as Double Bass, Mandolin and Harmonica to name a few and are very old school in performance style.
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Spikenard - MTX MT TUM FULHART EP Review
11 Apr 2013 // A review by tonymcdonald
Spikenard is an Indie band which really lifts my spirits. i.
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11 Apr 2013 // A review by tonymcdonald
Spikenard is an Indie band which really lifts my spirits. i.
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PlasticGroove - Pointless Single Review
10 Apr 2013 // A review by Petros
The semi-anonymous masked men in black are back with a new track, though in many ways PlasticGroove never left the scene. Junky Monkey is still doing the rounds, currently sitting at number 40 on the Audience.
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Rules Of Addiction - World Made Of Lies Album Review
10 Apr 2013 // A review by terry666
Rules of Addiction come from Wellington and Queenstown. They have been recording and touring since 2011.
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8 Foot Sativa @ The Royal 23/03/2013
08 Apr 2013 // A review by Asmith
Opening up the night was the palmy lads Deaths Door - hard and fast with lots of breakdowns for the moshers, simple catchy vocal rhythms and the song writing riffery contained a lot of tempo changes which helped to build up to all the breakdowns and signature riffs. As more and more people packed in to see 8 Foot Sativa the mosh pit got bigger and bigger with everyone amping to see the headliners all you could hear between songs and bands was people chanting and screaming for 8 Foot Sativa!
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Tahuna Breaks - Shadow Light Album Review
07 Apr 2013 // A review by Alistar3000
Tahuna Breaks were one of those bands that I’d heard mentioned a lot but never got around to listening to, until I got sent a copy of their third album Shadow Light. After listening to it I don’t know why these guys aren’t better known here, or why I hadn’t listened to them earlier.
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Beastwars - Blood Becomes Fire Album Review
07 Apr 2013 // A review by Alistar3000
Beastwars’ debut album in 2011 was an impressive display of sludge that garnered them a lot of attention, so I was a little apprehensive when I found out that I would be reviewing the follow up, Blood Becomes Fire. Would it be as good?
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2 a.m. Orchestra - Live at Lopdell House Theatre Album Review
07 Apr 2013 // A review by Petros
It was a while ago that I got the opportunity to look at {2 a.m.
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The Bads - Travel Light Album Review
02 Apr 2013 // A review by Petros
Once the Julie Dolphin, then Boom Boom Mancini, dynamic duo Brett Adams and Dianne Swann are back as The Bads and with a brand new album Travel Light. If neither of the previous band names sound very familiar, perhaps I should throw in that Adams and his guitarist skills have been heard alongside Gin Wigmore and Neil Finn, and Swann has recorded duets with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and OpShop, and was formally a member of kiwi supergroup When the Cat’s Away.
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Urbantramper - Tomorrow We Leave Here EP Review
24 Mar 2013 // A review by Alistar3000
Wellington’s Urbantramper really impressed me with last year’s album Internet Freedom Is Love. I really liked their blend of indie folk and downbeat electronica – it had a dark streak through it that I found interesting, yet they maintained a pop feel to their songs.
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Nathan Haines - Vermillion Skies Album Review
24 Mar 2013 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
On a road of passionate red, the gorgeous and the ever-elegant saxophone dazzles and electrifies the room with a musical charge. This is the weapon of love for Nathan Haines.
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Badd Energy - Underwater Pyramids Album Review
17 Mar 2013 // A review by Alistar3000
When I tried listening to the new Badd Energy album the first time I had to stop it and walk away. There was something about it that just put me off and I couldn’t listen to it.
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Homegrown 2013 Review
11 Mar 2013 // A review by Alistar3000
The 2nd of March brought the annual Homegrown festival to Wellington once more and I headed along to get some photos, check out some bands I hadn’t seen live before and soak up the atmosphere of 17,000 happy music fans enjoying the best of our local talent. Last year I seemed to spend most of my time at the Rock Stage, so this year I thought I’d try and check out the stages where I wouldn’t normally hang out.
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11 Mar 2013 // A review by Alistar3000
The 2nd of March brought the annual Homegrown festival to Wellington once more and I headed along to get some photos, check out some bands I hadn’t seen live before and soak up the atmosphere of 17,000 happy music fans enjoying the best of our local talent. Last year I seemed to spend most of my time at the Rock Stage, so this year I thought I’d try and check out the stages where I wouldn’t normally hang out.
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Maree Sheehan - Chasing The Light Album Review
04 Mar 2013 // A review by Dilemma
In the 1990's Maree Sheehan helped pave the way for women in the New Zealand music industry by bringing homegrown dance-pop to the foreground. Sheehan had a unique style, which blended dance-pop with traditional Maori instrumentals, hip-hop and RnB which broke new musical ground.
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Theseonyas – Extended Pleasures EP Review
03 Mar 2013 // A review by tonymcdonald
Theseonyas are a guitar focused indie rock band which appealed me to straight away and are certainly NOT your run of the mill band. The CD I reviewed was a 7 song EP called Extended Pleasures, which was a nice play on acronyms.
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03 Mar 2013 // A review by tonymcdonald
Theseonyas are a guitar focused indie rock band which appealed me to straight away and are certainly NOT your run of the mill band. The CD I reviewed was a 7 song EP called Extended Pleasures, which was a nice play on acronyms.
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At Peace - Girl Songs EP Review
02 Mar 2013 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Love in all its varieties; we all have had our unique experiences of love. From the Young Gifted & Broke movement the hip-hop group @Peace, consisting of Home Brew’s Tom Scott and Lui Tuiasau, have released an EP all about the ‘L’ word.
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Phil Stoodley - No Surprise Album Review
25 Feb 2013 // A review by elchicko
Phil Stoodley brings his debut album No Surprise via a humble free download from his website http://www.philstoodley.
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Six60 - Six 60 @ The Station Village Complex, Lower Hutt 29/12/12
24 Feb 2013 // A review by tonymcdonald
I turned up to this gig not knowing what to expect. Sure I’d heard the radio hits and a couple of tracks from the album, but what would they be like live?
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Tyree - Motivation Album Review
23 Feb 2013 // A review by Dilemma
It's been six long years since Tyree's debut album Now Or Never (2007) and his much anticipated sophomore opus Motivation calls on all of that experience and maturity into a project that encapsulates Tyree and his current struggles to maintain a positive outlook on life and career. "It's got a lot of songs that will motivate you.
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Osmium @ The Royal, Palmerston North 07/02/13
22 Feb 2013 // A review by terry666
Robin a two piece self described post rock band opened up the evening with an inspiring set. An instrumental band predominantly it was swirling guitar sounds with almost tribal rhythms.
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Max Merritt & The Meteors - Been Away Too Long Album Review
21 Feb 2013 // A review by Petros
"Get a haircut...” A line oft repeated by my father in my earlier days, and even more so now.
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Death In Texas - Fear of the Hundred Single Review
21 Feb 2013 // A review by Petros
Death in Texas are another great band that has escaped the chain-like clutches of the New Zealand native music scenes, and for good reason. Their sound is at the dark end of pop, a vine the local bigwigs fear to pluck fruit from, and in whose shade the sheeple fear to tread.
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Killing Bear and About The Deadlines @ Mighty Mighty, Wellington, 15/02/13
20 Feb 2013 // A review by Alistar3000
Wellington was treated to not one, but two, album releases last Friday at Mighty Mighty. Kapiti duo Killing Bear and Wellington four-piece About The Deadlines both had new recordings to celebrate and where better to do it than at Mighty Mighty.
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Hollywoodfun Downstairs - So Post Modern EP review
17 Feb 2013 // A review by Alistar3000
Hollywoodfun Downstairs are one of Wellington’s hardest working bands. They seem to play live more than most bands in town, and if they’re not gigging then they’re rehearsing four or five times a week to tighten their songs up.
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Killing Bear - The Vine of Souls Album Review
16 Feb 2013 // A review by Alistar3000
Having seen Wellington two-piece Killing Bear perform a few months ago I was looking forward to checking out their newly released second album. Live they came across as dark bluesy rock, at times almost touching on folk, but with this driving drumming that propelled the music along.
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The Transistors - Dirty Diver Single Review
14 Feb 2013 // A review by elchicko
This song brought about an array of mixed feelings with regards to its total output. The best way to describe this journey is in the shape of a roller coaster that begins with a lengthy climb only for the initial drop and adrenaline rush to be cut short so prematurely.
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14 Feb 2013 // A review by elchicko
This song brought about an array of mixed feelings with regards to its total output. The best way to describe this journey is in the shape of a roller coaster that begins with a lengthy climb only for the initial drop and adrenaline rush to be cut short so prematurely.
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Benny Tones - Chrysalis: The Remixes Album Review
13 Feb 2013 // A review by Alistar3000
Benny Tones, star producer and member of Wellington's Electric Wire Hustle, released a pretty solid album of electronica with 2011’s Chrysalis. This year he's looked to follow that success up by releasing an album of remixes.
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Nina McSweeney - The Bitter Sea Album Review
07 Feb 2013 // A review by Alistar3000
The first thing that strikes you when you hear opening track Lost In Translation on Nina McSweeney’s debut solo album is the remarkable similarity to Portishead. It’s not just the downbeat backing track, it’s that Nina’s voice sounds eerily like Portishead’s Beth Gibbons.
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Ekko Park - Becoming The Enemy Single Review
03 Feb 2013 // A review by elchicko
If I was able to achieve metamorphosis I would love to transform into a rock chick, stand in the front row of the next Ekko Park show, and portray my love to them in the only way possible, the way Tom Jones was so used to for all those years at the top. Unfortunately for those guys and you male readers I am not a rock chick (I do wish I could wear some of their fashion garments) but a chap who loves his music and is constantly impressed by the level of brilliant music that the New Zealand industry is bringing out.
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03 Feb 2013 // A review by elchicko
If I was able to achieve metamorphosis I would love to transform into a rock chick, stand in the front row of the next Ekko Park show, and portray my love to them in the only way possible, the way Tom Jones was so used to for all those years at the top. Unfortunately for those guys and you male readers I am not a rock chick (I do wish I could wear some of their fashion garments) but a chap who loves his music and is constantly impressed by the level of brilliant music that the New Zealand industry is bringing out.
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AmosAnon - Songs of a Tortured Soul EP Review
02 Feb 2013 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Songs of a Tortured Soul is a demonstration of courage in progress. The latest EP from gothic artists [Amos/Anon] is to date their most heartfelt release.
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Pariah - Mass Album Review
31 Jan 2013 // A review by Asmith
It’s been a long time coming for the 2nd full length Pariah album but I’ll be honest, it was fully worth the wait! Starting off with a melodic instrumental piece that warms you up, gets you comfortable, makes you feel safe… Then the brutal onslaught begins with the second track Unholy Disorder filled with mosh heavy riffs, it kinda takes you over and no matter where you are you feel overwhelmed by the pit inside your head (try listening to this album on headphones in public without looking like you’re having a seizure, I dare you).
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Parachute 2013 Review!!!
30 Jan 2013 // A review by miss nz
Today’s review is brought to you by the letter F, and the number 7. The F word...
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30 Jan 2013 // A review by miss nz
Today’s review is brought to you by the letter F, and the number 7. The F word...
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Some Groovy PlasticGroove Singles
29 Jan 2013 // A review by Petros
PlasticGroove is that band with the black and white cartoon cut out masks and the suits. When asked about the masks, one of the semi-anonymous members explained the masks were to bring the focus back to the music, not the celebrity behind the performers.
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Osmium - The Misery Harvest Album Review
29 Jan 2013 // A review by River
There’s no escaping Osmium’s awesome metal prowess throughout their second full-length album The Misery Harvest. Stylistically similar to Alice and Chains, what sets the Invercargill based three-piece apart is a harder edge of heavy riffs with a bit more grunge for good measure.
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J Plates - Look Within Single Review
27 Jan 2013 // A review by Alistar3000
J Plates (aka Jeremy Graham) is a Hamilton-based electronic music maker who isn’t that well known here, or known at all outside the club scene, but he seems to be getting plenty of notice abroad. He’s just released a track on a compilation by Russian label Liquid Brilliants.
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George FM Yearbook 2012
19 Jan 2013 // A review by Mmdelai
Dang, this is a bangin' compilation! The George FM Yearbook 2012 is full of super catchy indie electronic tracks.
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19 Jan 2013 // A review by Mmdelai
Dang, this is a bangin' compilation! The George FM Yearbook 2012 is full of super catchy indie electronic tracks.
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Titanium - All For You Album Review
12 Jan 2013 // A review by Jay Kim
Not long ago, The Edge FM said they would set out to manufacture the perfect boy band. Now, they present to us a carefully selected group known as Titanium.
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David Rasmussen - Blue Sky Shining Album Review
10 Jan 2013 // A review by Petros
Serve Blue Sky Shining with a sweet cocktail. Best enjoyed in a hammock.
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10 Jan 2013 // A review by Petros
Serve Blue Sky Shining with a sweet cocktail. Best enjoyed in a hammock.
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Beyond The Black NYE Festival 31/12/12
08 Jan 2013 // A review by Asmith
Rising Force The first act on the indoor stage to kick things off. The band that has been together for about a year and their sound is quite similar to European power metal, with the vocalists beautiful clean voice surprising everyone when she threw in some screams too!
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08 Jan 2013 // A review by Asmith
Rising Force The first act on the indoor stage to kick things off. The band that has been together for about a year and their sound is quite similar to European power metal, with the vocalists beautiful clean voice surprising everyone when she threw in some screams too!
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Paper City - Time Will Find You Single Review
07 Jan 2013 // A review by elchicko
What struck me straight away with this song was its remarkable capabilities to transcend me back into my late teens with only 10 seconds of the song, hours wasted playing Tony Hawks pro skater knowing all the words to such bands as Bad Religion, Papa Roach and more unknown British bands as Kneehigh, Waiting for Taylor, Gash and more recently amongst the American scene, Yellow Card springs to mind. The opening is in your face, very gritty, and makes you stand up and take notice.
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Rhythm and Vines Review
07 Jan 2013 // A review by River
There’s something very special about the Rhythm and Vines music festival held during New Year at the lovely Waiohika Estate Vineyard, just out of Gisborne. Rhythm and Vines celebrated their ten-year anniversary with an unprecedented level of professionalism and 31,000 music lovers partied with them on New Years Eve.
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07 Jan 2013 // A review by River
There’s something very special about the Rhythm and Vines music festival held during New Year at the lovely Waiohika Estate Vineyard, just out of Gisborne. Rhythm and Vines celebrated their ten-year anniversary with an unprecedented level of professionalism and 31,000 music lovers partied with them on New Years Eve.
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Jamie McDell - Six Strings and a Sailboat Album Review
03 Jan 2013 // A review by Petros
I had never heard the name Jamie McDell, though judging by the volume of buzz and praise Google throws out, I feel like I should have. Her debut album Six Strings and a Sailboat debuted at number eight on the NZ Top 40 and her singles have been dancing around the charts for weeks.
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Villainy - Mode. Set. Clear. Album Review
29 Dec 2012 // A review by River
The first thing to strike you about Villainy’s debut album Mode Set Clear is the excellent surrealistic graphics designed by legendary designer Storm Thorgerson. Echoing some other great works by the renowned artist such as Muse’s Absolution, Megadeth’s Rude Awakening and Pink Floyd’s A Momentary Lapse Of Reason, the digipac is so good it’s worth framing and mounting to the wall.
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Hurricane Kids @ Kings Arms Tavern 19/12/12
26 Dec 2012 // A review by Jay Kim
CONCERT REVIEWHurricane KidsKings Arms Tavern19/12/12Written by Jay Kim For a band that had a 50 person crowd and a keyboardist with a broken left hand, the Hurricane Kids were surprisingly relaxed for their first ever show. Friends in the crowd were given waves and smiles were exchanged between the band.
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Alizarin Lizard, Brown & Guests @ The Badcave, Palmerston North, 06/12/12
21 Dec 2012 // A review by Petros
Last week I read the following headline in the local Manawatu Standard: “City folk ‘intolerant of noise’ – Musician ‘banned’ from playing music” The picture of Harry Lilley, a well-known busker in Palmerston North, and his white blonde hair, sunglasses and guitar made this annual report for the Environmental Protection Services Noise Control seem like someone else actually cared about Harry’s plight, the plight of many a practicing musician. This article came a week after: “Explicit PN hip-hop video an online hit” The thing I like about this article is it summed up the closed mindedness of this rural town that masquerades as a city.
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Tranzmute - Awakening To The Truth Album Review
21 Dec 2012 // A review by Dilemma
Review of Transmute CD - 3.5/5 Tranzmute is a hip hop artist exploring the social, political and spiritual aspects of the human experience.
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The Ruby Suns - Sea Lion Album Review
18 Dec 2012 // A review by elchicko
I entered this assignment blind and was pleasantly surprised by what I encountered. This the second album by The Ruby Suns.
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Silence The City - Holdfast EP review
12 Dec 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Silence the City claim to be high-energy rock and their debut EP, Holdfast, certainly sets out to live up to their lofty claims, and for the most part does a good job of it. The seven track EP starts out with an intro that in no way represents their music, and misled me at first into thinking that I was about to listen to some sort of poppy retro electronic dance outfit; there was a hint of Kids of 88, mixed with something I can only describe as Baywatch-esque.
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Roadside Theory, The Rising Tide and Dobrosis @ The Royal 23/11/12
12 Dec 2012 // A review by Asmith
First onto the stage was a group of boys from Dannevirke who have made themselves known in the local scene in a very short space of time. The very first thing I noticed about Dobrosis was probably the very unique vocal style, cupping the mic with both hands while holding one elbow above his head he pushed out the death growls throughout the set while their drummer provided back up screams… while drumming… and windmilling!
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12 Dec 2012 // A review by Asmith
First onto the stage was a group of boys from Dannevirke who have made themselves known in the local scene in a very short space of time. The very first thing I noticed about Dobrosis was probably the very unique vocal style, cupping the mic with both hands while holding one elbow above his head he pushed out the death growls throughout the set while their drummer provided back up screams… while drumming… and windmilling!
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Minuit - Last Night You Saw This Band Album Review
02 Dec 2012 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Last night I heard the fourth studio album from electronic darlings Minuit. And I will be listening to it again tonight, and the following night, and the consecutive Summer nights coming in to 2013.
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Junica - The Celebration Album Review
30 Nov 2012 // A review by Dilemma
I first remember hearing Junica AKA Nik Brinkman back in 2011 when Living In My House featuring Pip Brown Aka Ladyhawke was released and I thought it was good a bit 80's disco and shiny mirrorballs. Unfortunately that first single was released at the same time as The Naked and Famous were big and I really didn't take a lot of notice because the N&F are so good at what they do.
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The Wendy Morris Band - Entangled Album Review
28 Nov 2012 // A review by Petros
Finally, New Zealand has produced the perfect accompaniment for a summer drive around the Whangaparaoa pennisula in a blue Capri. Introducing the Wendy Morris Band and the new album Entangled.
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Ninja Monkey - Anger Management EP Review
27 Nov 2012 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Pop-rock trio Ninja Monkey have released their debut EP Anger Management, a little taste of their full-throttle rock’n’roll drive. The EP consists of the very classic groove of ‘These Eyes’ with prodding guitar riffs and pounds of the drums, encrusted with dense rock harmonies.
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Evil Mule - Remnants of a Lost Science Album Review
27 Nov 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
A while ago I got to review Evil Mule’s 2008 debut album P-Hood Prophecies. At the time I recall having pretty low expectations for the album yet being completely blown away by how fresh it sounded.
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27 Nov 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
A while ago I got to review Evil Mule’s 2008 debut album P-Hood Prophecies. At the time I recall having pretty low expectations for the album yet being completely blown away by how fresh it sounded.
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Cairo Knife Fight Live @ Mighty Mighty, 23/11/12
27 Nov 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Last Friday seemed to be the busiest night of the year for rock fans in Wellington, with Beastwars, the Bleeders and Cobra Khan, Cairo Knife Fight and Decortica all playing at various venues in the city. I was lucky enough to get along to Mighty Mighty to check out Cairo Knife Fight and Decortica.
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Needless Cane - Hemlock Lemonade Single Video Review
25 Nov 2012 // A review by Asmith
Ok I’ll be honest here, this band is not really the kinda thing I’m into but this video is actually pretty cool! It’s a take on the mad hatters tea party, but there’s definitely a twist.
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Bloodspray for Politics - Blood And Night EP Review
22 Nov 2012 // A review by Asmith
Heavy riffs and screams come straight out to play from the very first song on Bloodspray for Politics debut EP Blood And Night, with wah heavy leads tearing through the first track Blood And Night. I had to assume that with the very first track having the same title as the EP that whatever I got in the first track would continue throughout, and I was right.
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Cephalopod - Materialization Album Review
22 Nov 2012 // A review by Asmith
Cephalopod are for me a band that manages to meld two worlds together, infectious and catchy, groove and technical, brutal and insightful… and all at the same time while still remaining raw and honest, what more can a guy ask for? I can’t find a song on this album I don’t like, but if you were to ask me which are my favourites I would have to say Mechanics Of Deceit and The Grey.
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Cobra Khan EP Review
22 Nov 2012 // A review by Asmith
My first thoughts when hearing Cobra Khan’s self-titled EP (and my first time listening to Cobra Khan I might add) had me hearing a big Fear Factory influence, I’m unsure whether it was the vocal style or the dark, deep, heavy riffs that were protruding from every orifice of this EP, lathered in synth back dropping the whole thing to give it a haunting tone overall. The first two tracks Cages and Walking Wires keep to that heavy rock styling as above, then moving into the very electronic rock sounding Ashvin (which reminded me of Fear Factory's album Demanufacture) and then changing pace again to the last track on the EP In Frays (which I’ll be honest actually kinda reminded me a little of Phil Collins, I think that may have been the verb on the vocals) which is a softer, more classic rock styled piece.
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Decortica - 11811 Album Review
21 Nov 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Decortica's last album, the stunning Love Hotel, showcased their unique sound, drawing on elements of rock and metal to create something that sat somewhere in between, yet almost transcended both genres. It garnered them some attention, through a couple of well-produced videos, but they never really seemed to take off in a big way.
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Young Lyre - Night Swimming EP Review
20 Nov 2012 // A review by Petros
Young in name, but not young in years in the band game, Young Lyre (formally Sons of Darragh, Oresund and the Frisk) have stormed into the New Zealand mainstream this month with their distinctively Indie sound and refreshingly bright new EP, Night Swimming. Debuting at number fifteen on the Official New Zealand Music Chart, Night Swimming has been described by those in the know as sounding like Two Door Cinema Club's Tourist History.
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The Adults - Live with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra Album Review
18 Nov 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
It seems to becoming trendy for NZ bands to perform with an orchestra these days, with some doing it better than others. Shapeshifter’s recording with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra is one of my favourite live albums, but other bands either haven’t had songs that translate well into an orchestral sound, or have trouble arranging their music to take advantage of the orchestra.
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RIANZ 47th Annual Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards
15 Nov 2012 // A review by Dilemma
When you kick off any kind of ceremony with 3 drummers smashing double kick pedals completely in unison backing NZ’s own rock superstar Gin Wigmore, you would think that there is no actual way that a night could start or end any better! But we wouldn’t expect anything less being that this was the beginning of the 47th Annual Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards held at the Vector Arena earlier this month.
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15 Nov 2012 // A review by Dilemma
When you kick off any kind of ceremony with 3 drummers smashing double kick pedals completely in unison backing NZ’s own rock superstar Gin Wigmore, you would think that there is no actual way that a night could start or end any better! But we wouldn’t expect anything less being that this was the beginning of the 47th Annual Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards held at the Vector Arena earlier this month.
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2 a.m. Orchestra - Heads & Tails Single Video Review
15 Nov 2012 // A review by Petros
A devil and an angel, one wonders as the black, devil tailed chap approaches the white, anthropomorphic bird dude. A tussle ensues and these enemies become a rotating yin-yang.
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Aaradhna Showcase @ Nectar Bar 11/10/12
13 Nov 2012 // A review by Dilemma
About a month ago, I was invited to watch Aaradhna showcase some new songs from her new amazing album Treble and Reverb. It’s been out for about 5 days now, have you heard it?
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8 Foot Sativa @ The Royal, Palmerston North 25/10/12
11 Nov 2012 // A review by terry666
I had been lucky enough to witness 8 Foot Sativa in Auckland opening for Fear Factory just a few weeks before they started their nationwide comeback tour. It was an impressive show which left no doubt in people's minds that 8 Foot was back stronger than ever and ready to shred it across the country once again.
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The Datsuns - Death Rattle Boogie Album Review
08 Nov 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
The Datsuns are one of those New Zealand bands who seem to have been around forever, churning out dirty garage rock, releasing well-received albums, but never seeming to do as well at home as they do abroad. Their new album Death Rattle Boogie, the fifth the band has released, may go some way to address that problem.
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Elephant Of The Ocean - Torso Looking For Legs Single Review
06 Nov 2012 // A review by Asmith
Brutal from the very first note, these guys are bringing the standard of kiwi metal to a new level with their first single Torso Looking For Legs. Everything from Production to the music itself is annihilating my ears as I listen to it, over and over again.
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Killing Yourself For Profit - Betrayal Begets Blood Single Review
06 Nov 2012 // A review by Asmith
Killing Yourself For Profit are an up and coming metal band from Auckland merging some of Auckland’s already established metal bands such as Fuelset, Upraw and Burn The Scripture. No matter your preferred style of metal, there is bound to be something you like with their first single Betrayal Begets Blood - Throwing in a bit of everything from grooving, chugging riffs to melodic tech, and of course the breakdown style riffs to get the pit going, there are even vocal harmonies blending growling screams on the track.
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These Four Walls - Living to Write the End Album Review
06 Nov 2012 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
The walls will be reverberating once Living to Write the End hits your stereo. The second album from alternative rockers These Four Walls will be exploding your aural senses and detonating every fibre of your being.
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Kora - Light Years Album Review
05 Nov 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Kora made a pretty big splash back in 2007 with their self-titled debut, combining funk, metal, electronica and more to create something unique. Following up on that could have been a big ask, but with Light Years Kora have shown that they can evolve their sound and continue to innovate, without compromising what they do best.
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Diving - Synesthesia EP Review
04 Nov 2012 // A review by Petros
Some advice for listening to Synesthesia; close your eyes. Especially if you’re one with a fractured mind and vivid dreams like me.
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Maitreya - Āio Album Review
03 Nov 2012 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Āio is long overdue and an album that had to be made. Maitreya, the moniker of hip-hop MC Jamie Greenslade, has released his second album, a work that incorporates both the English language, and Te Reo Maori.
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Kieran Cooper - Live @ San Francisco Bathhouse, Wellington 30/10/12
01 Nov 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
It takes a brave person to quit their day job and spend months touring New Zealand; an even braver one to play acoustic folk at the San Francisco Bathhouse, traditionally the home of rock music in Wellington, on a Tuesday night. But Kieran Cooper has made the decision to work hard at being a solo artist and that's all part of the journey for him.
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Aaradhna - Treble and Reverb Album Review
31 Oct 2012 // A review by Dilemma
Have you heard about it yet? Undoubtedly the best NZ music album to be released this year?
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Hell-oween in The Swamp @ The Royal, 27/10/12
30 Oct 2012 // A review by Asmith
The very first Hell-oween in the swamp to be run by Cephalopod's Kyle Kenrick (and his first event overall I believe) went down amazingly, everything was organized well and even the stage was in costume! There was plenty of merch on offer and there was a decent turnout too considering all the other events on the same night!
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30 Oct 2012 // A review by Asmith
The very first Hell-oween in the swamp to be run by Cephalopod's Kyle Kenrick (and his first event overall I believe) went down amazingly, everything was organized well and even the stage was in costume! There was plenty of merch on offer and there was a decent turnout too considering all the other events on the same night!
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Rival State - Apollo Me Album Review
29 Oct 2012 // A review by River
Rival State's album Apollo Me is a solid effort throughout. At times their powerful sound is without compromise.
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Hello Sailor - Surrey Crescent Moon Album Review
28 Oct 2012 // A review by Petros
Hello Sailor are one of those bands that need no introduction. They’re a kiwi institution, like L&P and Pav.
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Evermore - Follow the Sun Album Review
25 Oct 2012 // A review by JohnS
It's a long journey to become a household name within Australasia, but Evermore have done exactly that and more. From topping the charts in 2004 with their debut album Dreams to their latest release Follow the Sun, Evermore have established themselves into the indie-rock record books.
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Depths - Revelation Album Review
25 Oct 2012 // A review by terry666
This is an amazing heavy death metal album coming from a band hailing from the swamp; Palmerston North. Depths have been touring hard nationally to brand their name into the metal scene and have just ventured overseas to test the waters.
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Rackets - Could Do Better EP Review
25 Oct 2012 // A review by Petros
I only went into Happy the one time during that one year Wellington was my home. There was about a week and a half left of July, I had a crush on Cat Venom and all I wanted was to hold their new record in my hands and breathe in that sweet cardboard and plastic scent.
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Agent - Made Of Gold Single Review
24 Oct 2012 // A review by terry666
This is Agent's latest single for an album which has been a long time coming. The album Kingdom of Fear is slated for a 2013 release date.
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Cavell - Last Summer EP Review
21 Oct 2012 // A review by Dilemma
Cavell is a surprising new talent to emerge in the NZ music scene. He has gradually developed his own musical sense of style through collaborations and guidance from local super-talented artists such as DLove and Deach, Jae'O and from record-breaking Hip Hop group Smashproof whom he was a support act.
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Danny McCrum - Letters to the Future Album Review
18 Oct 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Danny McCrum is an Auckland musician with a big reputation and a wide range of influences. He's supported a lot of big names (Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck to name just a couple), plays in the LA-based Magnolia Memoir, and has released 8 albums and EPs over the past decade.
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Donell Lewis - Missing My Love EP Review
17 Oct 2012 // A review by Dilemma
Donell Lewis has recently released a 6 track EP called 'Missing My Love' with the title song being the hottest new tune on YouTube and urban radio. Missing My Love is the third track and it features Fortafy aka Sam Ratumaituvuki.
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The New Brides EP Review
17 Oct 2012 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Lock up your daughters! A new bunch of heartbreakers are entering the scene.
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The Glocks - Magpie Genocide Album Review
17 Oct 2012 // A review by Petros
“To all those that have run the gauntlet to avoid the dive bomber – this is for you.” With apologies to the SPCA, I admit my first time firing a weapon at something other than a stationary target followed an experience running from a pair of those thieving black and white crows.
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Harbour City Electric - Without a Sound Album Review
15 Oct 2012 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
With the Christmas break just around the corner it is time to organise not only your holiday, but more importantly your summer soundtrack! Wellington is renowned for breeding great musical acts born to entertain us for the summer season.
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Home Brew album review
13 Oct 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Releasing a debut album is a daunting feat for any musician; choosing to make your first release a double album may be bordering on crazy. But Home Brew have proven time and again that they are no ordinary musicians and don't do play by conventional rules.
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Sweet & Irie - Irie Inspiration Album Review
10 Oct 2012 // A review by Dilemma
Local Rasta man Ed Ru is back to deliver Sweet & Irie’s sophomore album Irie Inspiration released on October 12th. Shaping out his organically grown style, Ed show’s the influence of Uncle Bob on the beautiful song ‘Psalms Of Bob Marley,‘ which is an excellent choice for an opening track.
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Moisty Atsushi - Speedo EP Review
09 Oct 2012 // A review by Petros
With the passionately played old-school, First Wave Ska and the creatively designed cover of red, green and gold, you’d be forgiven for thinking Moisty Atsushi was leading a reggae band. I mean, most people aren’t aware that Ska preceded Reggae and not the other way around.
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Three Houses Down @ The Colosseum, Palmerston North 21/09/2012
08 Oct 2012 // A review by Asmith
Coming onstage proclaiming themselves as “Roots Rock Reggae” and then bringing it full force with a modern twist. With an almost hyperactive stage performance this was a very, very tight 9 piece who showed their professionalism throughout their set, with sound problems plaguing them for the better part of the show they didn’t let it phase them at all and kept on going, and having experienced bad sound myself I know exactly how hard it can be to push through when you’re constantly getting feedback, so big ups on that one boys!
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Tomorrow People @ The Colosseum, Palmerston North 21/09/2012
08 Oct 2012 // A review by Asmith
The time had come to see the band I had been waiting to see since the release of their debut album 'One'. The set up took a little longer than expected but that only built up the suspense, as long as you could handle the DJ playing what I believe was reggae but with the bass so loud it actually distorted through the speakers so you really couldn’t hear anything but mud and thump.
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fleaBITE - Circus of Fleas Album Review
08 Oct 2012 // A review by JohnS
Perfect timing for school holidays arrived the new CD from FleaBITE entitled Circus of Fleas. Adult-friendly children’s music made right here in New Zealand that keeps my kids happy for hours.
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Dear Time's Waste - Some Kind of Eden Album Review
07 Oct 2012 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
The mystifying Auckland-based Claire Duncan returns with her musical alter-ego Dear Time’s Waste. Some Kind of Eden is the new album by this introspective artist.
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8 Foot Sativa @ Powerstation, Auckland 22/09/12
05 Oct 2012 // A review by terry666
I can’t tell you how excited I was when just after New Year’s this year 8 Foot Sativa announced that they would be back with a greatest hits album, a DVD and a new album. To add to all that was the fact that Jackhammer and Gary Smith were back in the fray and ready to step up once again.
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Nervous Doll Dancing - Eidolon Album Review
05 Oct 2012 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
A web of entrancing strings will ensnare you in the latest album by Nervous Doll Dancing, the solo project cast by enchantress Francesca Mountfort. The cellist is spellbinding in her third album Eidolon.
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Matthew Pickering - Up at the Bunkers EP Review
01 Oct 2012 // A review by blues.bass
While sitting down and looking out of the window on a bleak Auckland day (more suited to autumn than spring), Matthew Pickering’s EP ‘Up at the Bunkers’ brought a welcome ray of sunlight across the table. Matthew’s day gig by all accounts is in Parliament as a Hansard Editor, checking over the report of the proceedings of the House.
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The Neo-Kalashnikovs - She's On Heat Review
19 Sep 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
It's a difficult task trying to describe the Neo-Kalashnikovs, both in terms of a band and their musical output. You could try pinning them to a location, but with the band split between Auckland and California, they're not tied to the musical culture of either place.
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Jackal - Only Everything Album Review
14 Sep 2012 // A review by Petros
I confess. I join random things on Facebook whenever people suggest them, and often for no reason other than it was suggested.
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Bailterspace - Strobosphere Album Review
13 Sep 2012 // A review by Petros
With embarrassment I admit that until today I had referred to the band in prolonged hipster conversations about music as “Baiterspace.” The word was an earworm at one point, the kind of word that circles around in your brain for no apparent reason, like acetabulum, but that’s another story.
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Nervous Doll Dancing - Eidolon - Album Review
09 Sep 2012 // A review by JohnS
Nervous Doll Dancing is a new name to me, which came as a surprise. I consider myself to have an above average knowledge of kiwi musicians and I’m always a little taken back when I haven’t heard of someone who is this talented before.
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Julie Lamb - Trippin' The Light Album Review
09 Sep 2012 // A review by JohnS
Blues, rock and accounting aren’t something that would normally be put together but Wellingtonian signer Julie Lamb somehow pulls this off. Her second album entitled 'Trippin’ In The Light' displays a range of talent, which is rarely found on the shelfs nowadays.
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Going Global Showcase, 6 September 2012 @ San Francisco Bathhouse, Wellington
08 Sep 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Unless people are involved in the music industry, or play seriously in a band, they probably wouldn’t know much about the Going Global summit that took place in the first week of September in Wellington and Auckland (and the second week in September in Christchurch). What people might have seen is the music showcases put on as part of the summit.
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08 Sep 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Unless people are involved in the music industry, or play seriously in a band, they probably wouldn’t know much about the Going Global summit that took place in the first week of September in Wellington and Auckland (and the second week in September in Christchurch). What people might have seen is the music showcases put on as part of the summit.
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Artisan Guns - Coral Album Review
08 Sep 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Artisan Guns don’t just write songs, they make musical poems where lyrics and instrumentation work in perfect harmony with each other. Each song paints a musical picture telling of heartbreak, longing, loss and frustration.
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LA Mitchell - Apple Heart Video Review
06 Sep 2012 // A review by Dilemma
It is only fitting that LA Mitchell's beautiful song 'Apple Heart' have an equally beautiful and contempo cool music video. The song ‘Apple Heart’ is already an aching love ballad and it's not easy to get the right balance of complimentary and interesting in a music video that doesn't take away from the song or completely over power it.
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Darren Watson - Saint Hilda’s Faithless Boy Album Review
04 Sep 2012 // A review by blues.bass
They say good things come to those that wait, and it has been a long wait between albums from one of this country's premier blues men, Darren Watson.There has been more than half a decade between the release of Watson's previous album 'South Pacific Soul' and his latest 'Saint Hilda's Faithless Boy'.
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New Way Home - Mirrors Album Review
03 Sep 2012 // A review by River
From the outset New Way Home's latest release Mirrors is a rip-roaring beast sure to get the mosh pit pumping. Building on some of the best metal sub genres while forging a truly original sound all of their own, the five piece hailing from Auckland have incorporated the perfect blend of delicate harmonics and unrelenting heaviness.
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Diamond Sutra - Positioning Self EP review
03 Sep 2012 // A review by Asmith
Eerie, haunting, beautiful… Three words that perfectly describe my first impression of this album. Diamond Sutra is a female fronted electronic rock band to rival Evanescence and Lacuna Coil, the riffs are heavier and groovier, the beats are catchier and the vocals give me chills.
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Horror Story @ The Royal 18/08/12
02 Sep 2012 // A review by terry666
What can I say about horror punk maestros Horror Story? Well for starters I love this band.
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Both Sides of the Line - 5 EP Review
28 Aug 2012 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
It is pop. It is folk.
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Trip To The Moon - The Invisible Line Album Review
28 Aug 2012 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
It is a very cool hand played by electronic old hands Trip to the Moon on their fifth album The Invisible Line. The duo has produced an instrumental galaxy across the twelve tracks featured.
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Sola Rosa - Low and Behold, High and Beyond Album Review
25 Aug 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Sola Rosa seem to be one of those bands that's always been making great music, and forging a sound that has often been imitated but seldom matched. Starting out as the solo project of Andrew Spraggon, Sola Rosa now combines the talents of some of the best local and international musicians to produce their distinctive tunes.
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Nightchoir - See The First Star Album Review
25 Aug 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
It'd be easy to try and compare the new Nightchoir album to Pluto's music. After all, Nightchoir consists of three members of Pluto, so you’d expect there to be some musical similarities and spillover.
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Stray Theories - Even Though We Sleep Album Review
24 Aug 2012 // A review by Petros
There is nothing romantic about insomnia. Chuck Palahniuk misled me.
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AMACHINE - Abrasive Absurd EP Review
20 Aug 2012 // A review by Asmith
Brutal from the start, a rare mix of old school groove and modern prog/tech that leaves you wanting more and more. When the EP finished I was distraught that it was not a full length album, and then I played it again and felt a little better.
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Heathen Eyes - Ocea single review
19 Aug 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Auckland’s Heathen Eyes have just released their second “official” single - having previously recorded a number of demos with their original line up they now seem to be slowly releasing singles. Ocea is a plea to save our oceans, although it doesn’t sound like your typical environmental ballad.
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Swiss - Mr Slow Wind EP Review
18 Aug 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
There's always been two camps in reggae music - the musicians who just want to make party music and get people dancing, and those who view reggae as a political outlet. Auckland's SWISS is firmly in the former camp, his music imparting no great wisdom, or long lasting message to the listener, but bound to get the dance floor seething.
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Bloodsport – Blackest Darkness Album Review
14 Aug 2012 // A review by CEOMong
Short (sub 2 minute for the most part) grunty songs, strong consistent themes and imagery, all in all a very solid offering. At times predictable but also, therefore, reliable.
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14 Aug 2012 // A review by CEOMong
Short (sub 2 minute for the most part) grunty songs, strong consistent themes and imagery, all in all a very solid offering. At times predictable but also, therefore, reliable.
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Collapsing Cities - Strangers Again Album Review
02 Aug 2012 // A review by Petros
This is the future sound of New Zealand music. Strangers Again is destined to be the definitive electro indie pop release of 2012.
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LA Mitchell - Apple Heart Single Review
31 Jul 2012 // A review by Dilemma
LA Mitchell has got it made in terms of being a NZ musician. She is working with some of NZ's most amazing bands and our very own favourite superband, Fly My Pretties.
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AmosAnon DVD Review
29 Jul 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
There aren’t a whole lot of musicians in New Zealand releasing DVD’s of their work, for whatever reason – cost of production, the hassles of making enough videos to fill a whole DVD, or people aren’t generally into buying DVD’s of local artists. Or probably a combination of all three I suspect.
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Geoff Ong - Implications Single Review
29 Jul 2012 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Talented is an understatement when it comes to describing the bright, young musician Geoff Ong. Ong is a student from Auckland, who has an evident passion and skill when it comes to songwriting and performing.
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Fuelset - Sounds Of A Dying Seagull Album Review
27 Jul 2012 // A review by Asmith
This is one of those albums that I enjoy more and more every time I listen. Theres just so much going on here but in this case it is very much a good thing, this is one of those few bands that can actually make it work.
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Dr. Monster - Death Devine Album Review
27 Jul 2012 // A review by Asmith
Now I should probably point out first off that I am not a big punk fan, and punk is one genre that I know very little about, but even a bad punk CD is still going to sound a hell of a lot better than my flatmates dubstep collection, fortunatly for me this CD isn't bad at all. I would describe this sound as "horror punk", if you could imagine what that might be.
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The Heathen Collective - JuneFest @ Breakers Bar, Wanganui 30/06/12
27 Jul 2012 // A review by Asmith
The very first thing I noticed about The Heathen Collective when they stared playing was how low they had downtuned, I was actually waiting for them to hit a "brown note" (drop A in case you were wondering). The vocal technique was impressive, making me wonder if he had training or if like many of us he was a "Zen Of Screaming" convert but I never got the chance to ask him myself.
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Gift of Ruin - JuneFest @ Breakers Bar, Wanganui 30/06/12
27 Jul 2012 // A review by Asmith
Now I don't normally like to review a band more than once, but this was a performance that needed to be talked about. During the very first song the vocalist somehow manged to be so clumsy that he stompoed on his own drinks, spilling them everywhere, and as you can imagine the rage that this caused sent the rest of their set into brutal overdrive.
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27 Jul 2012 // A review by Asmith
Now I don't normally like to review a band more than once, but this was a performance that needed to be talked about. During the very first song the vocalist somehow manged to be so clumsy that he stompoed on his own drinks, spilling them everywhere, and as you can imagine the rage that this caused sent the rest of their set into brutal overdrive.
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Reapers Luck - JuneFest @ Breakers Bar, Wanganui 30/06/12
27 Jul 2012 // A review by Asmith
Reapers Luck's style is what I tend to class as "theatrical metal", falling somewhere in that undefined area somewhere between power metal and Iron Maiden, and from the very first song the Iron Maiden influence was very clear. The songwriting itself was a nice mixture from crescending ballads to the very maiden styled "horse metal" which gave their set some variety and made for a good show.
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Fuelset @ The Royal 29/06/12
27 Jul 2012 // A review by Asmith
OK, well what can I say, I DID NOT expect that! When these boys walked out in their stage personas (I had been standing next to the lead singer all night without recognizing him) and started to play a nice slow relaxed bassline, I figured the night was about to mellow out a bit.
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Suppression @ The Royal 29/06/12
27 Jul 2012 // A review by Asmith
It's always going to be hard follwing a band like Cage Demise, but I gotta say these guys didn't do too bad! It did take them a little while to get into the groove of their set but once they hit their sweet spot it was all go, pretty good considering they hadn't played a gig in months.
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Bloodspray For Politics @ The Royal 29/06/12
27 Jul 2012 // A review by Asmith
First band of the night usually plays to a fairly empty crowd and Bloodspray For Politics were no different, although they did manage to pull in a little more than the norm once they started playing. This four peice from palmy yield a lot of low end groove filled riffs that I will attempt to describe as "what sludge would sound like if it had great big metal balls, infused with a bit of groove to top it all off".
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Cage Demise @ The Royal 29/06/12
27 Jul 2012 // A review by Asmith
If you happen to be from Palmerston North and you love metal then you will, no doubt, have heard or heard of Cage Demise (if you havn't then may I suggest you knock down whatever is holding up the rock you are currently hiding under). Straight off the bat these boys come outas high energy as ever, so hard in fact that their drummer broke his kick pedal on the very first song!!!
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Zowie - Love Demolition - Album Review
25 Jul 2012 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Pack your bags and come aboard Love Demolition, the debut album by our electric darling, Zowie. The album is loaded with smouldering synthpop that will have you enslaved.
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The Blue Grizzly Band - Broke Arse EP Review
21 Jul 2012 // A review by terry666
This is the first EP from Palmerston North blues rock group The Blue Grizzly Band. They have been gigging pretty full on for the last year forming in a local music performance class.
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Paul Winders and The Goodness - Boy Dust Album Review
18 Jul 2012 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Had enough of this Winter? Why not go on a little escapade down memory lane, destination; the Dunedin sound.
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Loop Winter Compilation
17 Jul 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Over the past decade Loop has forged a strong reputation for releasing the best in New Zealand electronica and roots music, with many of their artists becoming household names, or as close to it as you can get here. Their latest release, Winter, provides a good introduction to some of the more recent releases and signings for those unfamiliar with the label, as well as showcasing some unreleased works if you're already a follower.
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17 Jul 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Over the past decade Loop has forged a strong reputation for releasing the best in New Zealand electronica and roots music, with many of their artists becoming household names, or as close to it as you can get here. Their latest release, Winter, provides a good introduction to some of the more recent releases and signings for those unfamiliar with the label, as well as showcasing some unreleased works if you're already a follower.
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Stefan Wolf - Quiet! Can't You See I'm Dying Here? EP Review
17 Jul 2012 // A review by Petros
“Perennially unfashionable… “ “Virtually unsaleable…” “Bound to be another shelf sitter…” Reading reviews like the above makes you question the adage “any press is good press.” If you took the reviews seriously that is… A grain of salt is the recommended accompaniment with Stefan Wolf’s latest release, self-described as “the paradox of a happy life tangling with the possibility of death.
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17 Jul 2012 // A review by Petros
“Perennially unfashionable… “ “Virtually unsaleable…” “Bound to be another shelf sitter…” Reading reviews like the above makes you question the adage “any press is good press.” If you took the reviews seriously that is… A grain of salt is the recommended accompaniment with Stefan Wolf’s latest release, self-described as “the paradox of a happy life tangling with the possibility of death.
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Concord Dawn - Air Chrysalis Album Review
10 Jul 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Concord Dawn have always seemed to be ahead of the drum and bass game, innovating and pushing the genre with each release, and in the process becoming well known here and around the world. That innovative streak seemed to diminish a little with the departure of Evan Short (who has now returned to his metal roots with Cobra Khan and Subtract) and the last album, The Enemy Within, had more of a commercial/mainstream feel than their earlier work.
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Ladyhawke - Anxiety Album Review
06 Jul 2012 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
All hail our very own electric queen! Ladyhawke has returned and delivered Anxiety, her sophomore album.
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Gatherer - So Be It Album Review
03 Jul 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Not enough albums come along and, by showing what can happen when a band forges their own unique sound, make you question why so many other bands stick with trying to emulate everyone else. Gatherer manage to force that question home, and make it seem effortless at the same time, with the release of their debut album So Be It.
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Savage - Mayhem and Miracles Album Review
29 Jun 2012 // A review by Dilemma
NZ Hip Hop icon and RIAA Certified Platinum selling artist SAVAGE is back with his third solo album Mayhem & Miracles on 29June. Recorded and Mixed in Hollywood, California, at platinum Hip Hop producer and MC DJ Quik's studio "The Vault", Savage spent time enlisting a group of the greatest Polynesian artists from around the world to help compliment the stories and themes of his captivating new album.
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Gatherer - Live @ Medusa, Wellington 22 June 2012
28 Jun 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Medusa in Wellington has a bit of a reputation for putting on interesting nights and Friday was no exception. Kicking off the night was local band Spook The Horses, whose album Brighter was one of my favourite New Zealand releases of the past year.
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Urbantramper - Internet Freedom Is Love Album Review
24 Jun 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Sometime you get an idea about a band without even taking the time to find out what they’re really about. That happened to me with Wellington’s Urbantramper – a band that’s been around town for a while, yet a band that I hadn’t checked out because I had some weird preconceived idea about what I expected them to sound like.
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Crimson Rain - Catastrophe Single Review
21 Jun 2012 // A review by CEOMong
Delicate intro, rolls into a picky soft hook. Nice vox harmonies throughout.
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Deaths Door @ The Royal, Palmerston North 09/06/2012
13 Jun 2012 // A review by Asmith
As the headlining act for the night came onstage I was unsure what to expect having not seen these boys perform in well over a year, and it didn’t take long for the pub to be filled with the sound of Deaths Door. Breakdowns and death growls filled out the majority of their set, and while there really wasn’t much of a crowd left by the time they went on the whole band moshing in unison helped get a dying crowd going, resulting in a dedicated line of moshers right up the front for the whole performance.
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Cephalopod @ The Royal, Palmerston North 09/06/2012
13 Jun 2012 // A review by Asmith
After some minor technical difficulties Cephalopod came out with force (I would liken it to being smashed in the face with Thor’s brutal metal hammer). And right off the bat Elise dominated with her energetic performance while still managing to retain some of the best vocal control and vocal projection I’ve seen from somebody in an unsigned band.
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Forsaken @ The Royal, Palmerston North 09/06/2012
13 Jun 2012 // A review by Asmith
When the opening act Forsaken came out I couldn’t help but notice the similarities to early Metallica/Megadeth (the early stuff when they actually made decent music), so safe to say if you are not a fan of Metallica you will not like this band. Their onstage presence consisted of duelling solos and long haired moshing to the old school styled thrash sound they produced, with the odd “metal ballad” thrown in for good measure.
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Great North - Halves Album Review
11 Jun 2012 // A review by Petros
Meaningful. Heartfelt.
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Dimmer Final Show @ Bodega, Wellington
10 Jun 2012 // A review by terry666
Shayne Carter is one of my favourite New Zealand musicians. It’s not just his music but also his performance.
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Clap Clap Riot - Counting Spins Album Review
01 Jun 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
You might listen to Clap Clap Riot’s debut album Counting Spins and think that you’ve heard some of the songs before. And you’d probably be right; the band has released four singles from the album over the past year, with the tunes getting airplay all over the place.
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Knives At Noon - Second Skin EP Review
27 May 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
It's always good to see bands trying new ways to get their music out to the masses and Knives at Noon seem to be doing better than most at it. Managing to get their music on Telecom's smartphone ads was a good start and now they're offering an exclusive downloadable EP to everyone who buys a t-shirt from them.
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Autozamm, Invader Cain and November Zulu @ The Royal 19/05/2012
24 May 2012 // A review by Asmith
“The Night That Fender Ruled The World” Invader Cain was first up with the smoke machine pumping out to their “new wave of dirty grungy Rock n Roll”, their set filled with catchy riffs and gang vocal style harmonies. The piss poor turnout didn’t affect their performance at all, if you were judging purely on stage presence you wouldn’t of known there was only a handful of people in the bar and I have to commend them for their professionalism with this.
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24 May 2012 // A review by Asmith
“The Night That Fender Ruled The World” Invader Cain was first up with the smoke machine pumping out to their “new wave of dirty grungy Rock n Roll”, their set filled with catchy riffs and gang vocal style harmonies. The piss poor turnout didn’t affect their performance at all, if you were judging purely on stage presence you wouldn’t of known there was only a handful of people in the bar and I have to commend them for their professionalism with this.
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Invader Cain - Feeling The Trend But Thinking Again EP Review
24 May 2012 // A review by Asmith
I find myself wondering just how to describe the sound of Invader Cain... Dirty ‘ol Kiwi Rock n Roll is possibly the best I can come up with.
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Depths - Resurgence EP Review
23 May 2012 // A review by River
Released on Deadboy Records and best described as a cross between Meshuggah and As I Lay Dying with hints of Machine Head thrown into the bubbling cauldron for good measure, Depths' EP Resurgence is sure to quench your desire for head banging mayhem. The CD starts off with a nice atmospheric and spooky intro that soon gives way to Age Of Compromise.
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The Academy Album Review by DNK World Music
22 May 2012 // A review by Dilemma
In April 2012, DNK World Music showcase four main artists on their first compilation album DNK World Music Presents: The Academy, featuring label mates, R&B Singer Donell Lewis, rapper Rickey Okay, producer DLove and label founder Karnel. DNK World Music is an independent record label founded by up-and-comers Nick "Karnel" Williams and producer Daniel "DLove" Love in 2010.
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22 May 2012 // A review by Dilemma
In April 2012, DNK World Music showcase four main artists on their first compilation album DNK World Music Presents: The Academy, featuring label mates, R&B Singer Donell Lewis, rapper Rickey Okay, producer DLove and label founder Karnel. DNK World Music is an independent record label founded by up-and-comers Nick "Karnel" Williams and producer Daniel "DLove" Love in 2010.
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Melic - Nowhere I'd Rather Be EP Review
19 May 2012 // A review by Burned_by_my_lighter
It’s easy to see why London based Kiwi rockers, Melic have opted 'Nowhere I’d Rather Be' for their first single off their upcoming third EP, also named 'Nowhere I’d Rather Be'. The first thing that catches your attention is the simple but infectious soft hook, laden with melody, that gives way to some catchy strong vocals, from vocalist and guitarist, Mark Hitchcock.
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Tomorrow People - One Album Review
16 May 2012 // A review by Asmith
From the very first song I was taken back down memory lane to my childhood growing up listening to The Wailers, UB40, Herbs, and Bob Marley. But there’s something else going on here, something very different and very fresh that you don’t get with that old school reggae sound.
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November Zulu - No More Fun And Games EP Review
16 May 2012 // A review by Asmith
Upon receiving this CD for review I was expecting to hear yet another cliché kiwi “rock” band... You guys know what I mean, that unfortunate kiwi sound that could be described as the deformed love child of pop rock and indie.
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Gunt - From Darkness to Deletion EP Review
16 May 2012 // A review by Petros
Gunt is another of those bands I’d heard on the radio before hearing of them and subsequently been asked to review. Little did I know they were a kiwi band.
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Capital Punishment @ Bar Medusa, Wellington 12/05/2012
15 May 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Medusa in Wellington has been a proud supporter of local metal since day one, continuing a long tradition of bars in that site. 2012 saw the third year of their Capital Punishment festivals, featuring 12 hours of the best of New Zealand (and Australian) metal.
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15 May 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Medusa in Wellington has been a proud supporter of local metal since day one, continuing a long tradition of bars in that site. 2012 saw the third year of their Capital Punishment festivals, featuring 12 hours of the best of New Zealand (and Australian) metal.
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Gunt @ The Royal, Palmerston North - 11/05/2012
15 May 2012 // A review by Asmith
So we get to the last band of the night and it looks like everyone has left, I look around and there’s maybe a handful of people in the bar and it’s not looking good... As GUNT make their way onstage and begin to play I look down to check my phone and by the time I had read my text and looked up again the bar was full...
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Pariah @ The Royal, Palmerston North - 11/05/2012
15 May 2012 // A review by Asmith
As the crowd disappeared during intermission I could hear everybody talking about Pariah's new line-up, wondering if they will be as good as they were before... and true to form the boys pulled out all the stops, leaving the doubters in their wake.
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Dirt Box Charlie - Extended Play Album Review
15 May 2012 // A review by Asmith
From the very first moment you pick up the CD you can feel an air of class exuding from this release, and upon playing the first track nothing changes. As I began listening I felt the strong blend of blues, funk and jazz instantly hit me in the face like a fresh cup of coffee first thing in the morning, and I could easily imagine myself sitting in a local cafe listening to this.
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Kasium, Jonlo Rain, The Filthy Varmits, Neckstrechers, Cephalopod @ The Royal, PN, 20/04/2012
14 May 2012 // A review by Petros
Anticipation was high this cold night in Palmy, as I made my way through the bare streets of our forsaken city. The crap music was already pumping out of the meat markets, but the sluts were yet to put on their alcohol blankets and remove most of their clothes, intelligence and sense of dignity.
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Sound of Amsa Album Review
06 May 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Sound of Amsa is a difficult album to categorise – it starts out with a dancier track, moves through retro, before settling on being a downbeat hip hop album. But at the end of the day, it’s definitely an interesting album and that’s probably all that matters.
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06 May 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Sound of Amsa is a difficult album to categorise – it starts out with a dancier track, moves through retro, before settling on being a downbeat hip hop album. But at the end of the day, it’s definitely an interesting album and that’s probably all that matters.
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Arc of Ascent - The Higher Key Album Review
02 May 2012 // A review by River
Arc Of Ascent’s latest release The Higher Key is an excellent follow-up to their debut album Circle of the Sun (Astral Projection) that received favourable reviews. Hailing from Hamilton, the trio punches well above their weight and epitomizes the wall of sound technique with one of the most commanding and transcending metal albums so far this year.
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This Flight Tonight - Friendly Fire Album Review
01 May 2012 // A review by Mmdelai
This Flight Tonight have coined their own genre as "dynamic rock". As the album progressed I was more and more convinced, started hearing subtle elements of their self proclaimed influences in the vocals and drums (Radiohead, Jeff Buckley).
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Skank Attack - Here on Out Album Review
01 May 2012 // A review by Petros
Why the hell have I never heard of Skank Attack? Perhaps, because I spent the first half of the eighties in a womb, well nine months of it at least, and the last half destroying my parents’ cassette tapes with my teeth.
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Sherpa - Lesser Flamingo Album Review
27 Apr 2012 // A review by Petros
It’s hard to gauge the success of local Indie bands, but you know Sherpa are making waves in the Indie world when you hear their songs played on one of the obscure niche shows Massey University’s Radio Control has on offer. That’s where I first came across this quirky band and their unique sound.
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The Black Seeds - Dust and Dirt Album Review
26 Apr 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
The Black Seeds are a staple of the New Zealand music scene and could be considered one of the founders of the current Wellington music renaissance. That reputation is a double-edged sword; they garner a lot of respect for what they've achieved but at the same time there's a tendency for some people to take them for granted.
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Sir T - Walk With Me Album Review
25 Apr 2012 // A review by Dilemma
Sir T is a newcomer to New Zealand Hip Hop, signed to Move The Crowd Records, and mentored by NZ Hip Hop’s favourite son Young Sid who also acted as the executive producer on Sir T's debut album Walk With Me. Being mentored by Young Sid has afforded Sir T the benefit of collaborating with himself and other rising stars Tyree, Vince Harder and Pieter T just to name a few.
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Tono & The Finance Company - Up Here For Dancing Album Review
18 Apr 2012 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Being young is a challenge in itself. It is a purgatory between the sobering moment of adulthood and youthful rebellion.
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Primmers - Durham Lane Album Review
13 Apr 2012 // A review by Petros
One can find many pleasures in music. Durham Lane from Primmers satisfies three of my main sources of pleasure; old, obscure, semi-forgotten music, previously unreleased music and true punk rock from the 70s, not that cringe-worthy neo-punk that emerged after the slow death of the boy band era.
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Spook The Horses - Brighter Album Review
09 Apr 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Spook the Horses may be New Zealand’s answer to seminal post-metal band Isis. They share many similarities – the layers of sound, sparse vocals, driving heaviness.
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09 Apr 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Spook the Horses may be New Zealand’s answer to seminal post-metal band Isis. They share many similarities – the layers of sound, sparse vocals, driving heaviness.
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PNC - Under The Influence Album Review
08 Apr 2012 // A review by Dilemma
Under The Influence is not your classic Hip-Hop release, spawned from an old school mix-tape concept, PNC and producer Matt Miller have included sample mash-ups on the album including ‘Stranger Part 1 & 2’ - featuring a twisted mash-up sample from Gotye’s #1 single ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ and ‘Take It All’, sampling Adele as the underlying track but featuring local Hip Hop MCs Jordache, David Dallas, Louie Knuxx and Percieve. Other collaborations are provided by the sweet Pieter T on "All Day" which is a somewhat aggressive track.
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DJ CXL - Represent Album Review
06 Apr 2012 // A review by Dilemma
2012 brings the release of one of the biggest albums of the year, from one of our biggest named DJ’s ironically called DJ CXL. The album features local artists including Scribe, J Williams, {K.
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Sounds Aotearoa 2012: Part One - The Seminars
05 Apr 2012 // A review by Petros
Part One: The Seminars Wonderful weather in New Plymouth for this, perhaps the last Sounds Aotearoa to be held in the scenic Taranaki. There were mixed responses to whether Sounds would be missed in Taranaki.
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05 Apr 2012 // A review by Petros
Part One: The Seminars Wonderful weather in New Plymouth for this, perhaps the last Sounds Aotearoa to be held in the scenic Taranaki. There were mixed responses to whether Sounds would be missed in Taranaki.
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Fly My Pretties IV Album Review
01 Apr 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Fly My Pretties has become something of a New Zealand institution, a local super group. You know they can always be depended on for high quality entertainment, and their ability to rope in many of our top musicians, as well as the best up and coming artists, means that their sound retains a freshness and that Pretties sound at the same time.
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Kieran Cooper - Yes, No, Sincerely Album Review
25 Mar 2012 // A review by Petros
In a rather novel move, over the past month or so Kieran Cooper has been releasing a track a week of Yes, No, Sincerely onto his bandcamp, a move previously employed by Smashing Pumpkins. This serialisation harkens back to the old days before we had unlimited high-speed internet and any album we could ever desire in a couple of clicks and a few minutes.
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Kieran Cooper - Yes, No, Acoustic
25 Mar 2012 // A review by Petros
Yes, No, Acoustic is a mix of old and new Kieran Cooper, from his previous release In Search of Reason, including my old favourites Awake and Over Me, as well as from his new release Yes, No, Sincerely, and also tracks from Kieran’s band, Kasium. If you’re the kind of person that would rather rock out to the Foo Fighters’ acoustic performance of Everlongwhen you’re in your growlery than listen to the original studio recording, then keep this album on your MP3 player.
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Module - Imagineering Album Review
22 Mar 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Imagineering is the first proper album from Module (aka Wellington – via Canada – musician Jeremiah Ross) since 2005's Remarkable Engines; that’s not to say Module has been idle in the past 6 years – there’s been the 70+ minute, single track Dreams For The Sleepless, and a live album released to keep us, and Module, occupied. Those releases haven’t seemed to garner the attention that Remarkable Engines did though, which is a shame as it’s seen Module sort of disappear from our musical landscape (or perhaps just mine).
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Julien Dyne - Live @ the San Francisco Bathhouse, Wellington - 9 March 2012
18 Mar 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Julien Dyne has already had a varied career as a musician. From playing in punk/hardcore bands at a young age, to playing jazz (notably with his father, Paul), then to the funky grooves of Opensouls and onto the hip hop/R&B of Ladi6.
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Sinate - To The Death Album Review
14 Mar 2012 // A review by CEOMong
Damn I’m impressed, this is one cool album – especially as loud as I have it right now. I consider myself lucky to have the privilege to hear something like this, and it’s from Kiwis!
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The Johnny Possum Band - Short Summer Album Review 2
05 Mar 2012 // A review by Mmdelai
The Johnny Possum Band (formerly known as "Johnny Possum's Good Time Hootin' Band"):This is their 5th CD 'Short Summer', made up of eight original songs and three covers. The music is based around rock, blue-grass, Americana and folk.
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An Emerald City - Live @ St. Peter's Hall, Paekakariki
05 Mar 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
It starts with a single violin playing an eerie lament, on a stage lit only by antique table lamps on a dark and stormy night in Paekakariki, half an hour out of Wellington. One by one the rest of An Emerald City stroll onto the small stage to take up the tune, in a way reflecting the band's approach to song writing.
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The Johnny Possum Band - Short Summer Album Review
05 Mar 2012 // A review by Burned_by_my_lighter
A beautiful arrangement featuring mandolins and violins makes The Johnny Possum band stand out in their eclectic mix genre of folk pop rock, with a lots of melody and feel good vibes. Short Summer is the band’s fifth album to date, comprising of vocalist, Bryan Peters, Margaret Pickering, Sean Whitaker, Keith Taylor and Jonathan Rosanowski.
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Burning Embers - Open Road Demo EP Review
05 Mar 2012 // A review by Burned_by_my_lighter
If the sound of heavy drums, crunchy riffs and melody catches your ear, then look no further than Wainuiomata rockers, Burning Embers. Despite being unsigned, the seasoned musicians have been around for a good three to four years, gigging almost anywhere they can and rocking out audiences with their mix of heavy rock, tinged with toe tapping melody and lots of impressive solo’s that would give Slash a run for his money.
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The Heavy Metal Ninjas EP Review
04 Mar 2012 // A review by River
The Heavy Metal Ninjas, who formed in 2010 (the year of the ninja), have certainly transcended the mortal realm with their debut EP of the same name. From devastating riffs, synchronised perfectly with meticulous timing, the five Ninjas including Stu and Fran Kora from multi-platinum selling band Kora, look set to completely annihilate the competition.
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Outsiders - Shallow Graves EP Review
01 Mar 2012 // A review by River
The Outsiders latest release Shallow Graves is a short but sweet EP that builds nicely on their impressive 2010 debut album The Words Will Write Themselves. With obvious similarities, Shallow Graves has a bit more Kiwi flavour and an underground number eight-wire approach.
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Alizarin Lizard - The Weekend Went Without You Album Review
29 Feb 2012 // A review by Petros
The Weekend Went Without You is a collection of catchy songs in the key of awesome. The music is an amalgamation of juxtaposed styles and influences; an orgy of pop, punk, jazz, blues and garage rock.
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Derty Sesh - Apology Accepted Album Review
26 Feb 2012 // A review by Dilemma
The sophmore release from Derty Sesh titled 'Apology Accepted' was released on Monday and with no where near the same backlash from his first release 'Sic Love.' In receiving this album I was excited to see the features and listened to I am Here first because Erakah was featured.
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Homegrown 2012
26 Feb 2012 // A review by terry666
Homegrown, Wellington Waterfront, 18 February 2012 Homegrown, New Zealand’s celebration of our culture of music is awesome. This is the day when all our finest talents are on display in a sublime setting of the Wellington waterfront.
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26 Feb 2012 // A review by terry666
Homegrown, Wellington Waterfront, 18 February 2012 Homegrown, New Zealand’s celebration of our culture of music is awesome. This is the day when all our finest talents are on display in a sublime setting of the Wellington waterfront.
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Will Saunders - Curious Maladies Album Review
26 Feb 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Will Saunders has been in the New Zealand music scene for a while, playing in Auckland psychedelic rock outift The Quick and The Dead (as well as London trio Siren), and has been releasing material as a solo artist for the past 2 years. His latest effort, Curious Maladies, is released under Will Saunders and the Lowest Fidelity, but don’t let the name fool you; there’s no band here, it’s just Will, a couple of guitars and a microphone.
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JCK - The Bees Album Review
12 Feb 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
JCK (aka James Castady-Kristament) has been producing his brand of hip hop since 2002 with songs being picked up by radio stations and music TV. It’s easy to see why he gets so much interest after listening to his latest album, The Bees.
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Psyrok - Calculus EP Review
12 Feb 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
It’s hard enough getting a bunch of musicians together to write and record songs when they all live in the same city, so it must be an absolute nightmare when they live on opposite sides of the globe. It would become damn near impossible when those musicians haven’t even met and have only spoken once (for a radio interview at that).
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Illuminus - Until The End Album Review
06 Feb 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
Every now and then an album comes along that surprises with its’ fresh sound and bold song writing. Illuminus’ debut album, Until The End, has been the first such surprise of 2012.
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The top ten cool things about Saturday at Parachute 2012
02 Feb 2012 // A review by miss nz
1. I’ve been to a number of Midnight Youth shows over the past few years, so it was rather lovely to sit and enjoy a few snippets from the front-man himself, Jeremy Redmore at Noise.
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02 Feb 2012 // A review by miss nz
1. I’ve been to a number of Midnight Youth shows over the past few years, so it was rather lovely to sit and enjoy a few snippets from the front-man himself, Jeremy Redmore at Noise.
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Beyond The Black Festival, New Years Eve 2011, Wellington
22 Jan 2012 // A review by terry666
Beyond the Black festival, New Years Eve 2011, Trentham Wellington It was a crap rainy day as I hit Upper Hutt early on New Years Eve ready to get my metal on for New Zealand’s first heavy metal and rock New Year’s festival. The beauty of this event unlike many others around the country was that most of this festival was inside.
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22 Jan 2012 // A review by terry666
Beyond the Black festival, New Years Eve 2011, Trentham Wellington It was a crap rainy day as I hit Upper Hutt early on New Years Eve ready to get my metal on for New Zealand’s first heavy metal and rock New Year’s festival. The beauty of this event unlike many others around the country was that most of this festival was inside.
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Throw It To The Fire, Captain Sergeant Major, Force Fields, Hollywoodfun Downstairs @ San Francisco Bathhouse, Wellington, 6 January 2012
10 Jan 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
For some reason live music seems to disappear from our cities every summer and the only way to see a band is to trek to one of the holiday hotspots (or rain spots) for a festival. So it was with great anticipation that I headed to Wellington’s San Francisco Bathhouse for my first gig of the year, featuring up and coming locals Hollywoodfun Downstairs.
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10 Jan 2012 // A review by Alistar3000
For some reason live music seems to disappear from our cities every summer and the only way to see a band is to trek to one of the holiday hotspots (or rain spots) for a festival. So it was with great anticipation that I headed to Wellington’s San Francisco Bathhouse for my first gig of the year, featuring up and coming locals Hollywoodfun Downstairs.
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Pajama Club Self-titled Album Review
30 Dec 2011 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Once you have got it, you never lose it. The self-titled debut of Neil Finn’s new outfit, Pajama Club, is testament to this.
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Spartacus R - The View Album Review
20 Dec 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
With their second album, The View, Wellington 6-piece Spartacus R prove that it’s quality, not quantity that matters. In 6 years together they’ve released a couple of EP’s, their debut album (When The Fever Takes Hold) in 2009 and toured a handful of times.
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Geoff Ong - Pictures EP Review
14 Dec 2011 // A review by Burned_by_my_lighter
If you haven’t yet heard of up and coming talent, Geoff Ong, you will soon, with the release of his first EP, Pictures, making quite a name for himself in pop. Pictures, is a great mix of pop soft rock melody, just in time for summer and those long hot days, giving listeners just a glimpse of what Geoff Ong is capable of musicially as an artist.
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Kasium - Exhale Album Review
12 Dec 2011 // A review by Petros
Kasium’s Exhale is the 90s rock album of the year. There are grungy guitars with blazing solos, heavy bass, hard-hitting drums and there is stoic defiance against the norms and the authorities in Kieran’s vocals.
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Cobra Khan - Adversities Album Review
09 Dec 2011 // A review by River
From the opening riff that will make the hairs on the back of your neck shiver in anticipation, Cobra Khan’s latest release Adversities, never lets up. The quintet had already set the bar high with their previous releases, especially the 2008 album Helgorithms, ensuring many dedicated fans here and abroad.
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Knights of the DUB Table - Way of the Dub Album Review
09 Dec 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
The Knights of the Dub Table attempt to live up to their name with their debut full length and for the most part they succeed. They’re not quite at the head of that table yet, but they come close.
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Mz J - Love Changes Everything Album Review
08 Dec 2011 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
New Zealand music has been going from strength to strength in 2011 with local artists setting sights on the international circuit and being successful in doing so. Here is another album that can comfortably sit alongside some of the chart-topping RnB and Pop albums emerging from the U.
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Photonic - Rif Mountains Album Review
08 Dec 2011 // A review by terry666
Camera Stellata is a very soft opener. This is the third album from the one man army Craig Scott who has also had a track included in the Stoner Doom Vol 1 album with a song from his first release Recorded content.
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AmosAnon - Darkness From Light Album Review
08 Dec 2011 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
AmosAnon have stomped back onto the scene with a new digital release Darkness from Light. This is a dusky album full of hard-hitting rock songs.
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Sticky Filth - Fourth Domain Album Review
03 Dec 2011 // A review by River
For starters, Sticky Filth’s latest album demands to be played loud. Fourth Domain is a nicely packaged release that builds on a solid foundation of the tried and true, while not being afraid to explore something new and the darker side of life.
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The Flaming Mudcats - Gave You What You Wanted Album Review
03 Dec 2011 // A review by Burned_by_my_lighter
Otis Redding, Leadbelly, Muddy Waters, just some of the late greats of 1950’s American Blues. Fast forward to New Zealand 2011, and The Flaming Mudcats could soon be amongst them.
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The House Of Capricorn - In The Devil's Days Album Review
28 Nov 2011 // A review by CEOMong
At first I didn’t know what to say about the newest offering from the cloven hoofed ones, but the more I listen the more I have to say. I really like it, I’m not 100% sure why, there’s lots to like but nothing I can nail down ...
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High Dependency Unit - Live @ the San Francisco Bathhouse, Wellington - 11 November 2011
20 Nov 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
High Dependency Unit (HDU) are one of those bands that just seem to have always been a part of the New Zealand music scene. They were part of the Flying Nun stable in the 90’s until they went their separate ways in 2008 and gained a cult following for their post-rock sound and for their live shows; the latter being remembered for the huge wall of layered sound that the trio would create.
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Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards - November 3rd, 2011. Vector Arena.
11 Nov 2011 // A review by Dilemma
Man, the Vector is massive. Anything staged there needs to be a spectacular just to do the sheer size of the Arena justice.
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11 Nov 2011 // A review by Dilemma
Man, the Vector is massive. Anything staged there needs to be a spectacular just to do the sheer size of the Arena justice.
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Kapabal - No Rest Album Review
09 Nov 2011 // A review by Dilemma
There is so much good NZ music out there lately that it is easy to be subjective when listening to it, because it is all different and yet so good. I am always so excited to listen to something new and fresh, and am open minded to diversity.
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Machete Justice - Reversion Album Review
08 Nov 2011 // A review by River
Picking up where many metal bands left off, Machete Justice sets the bar high with their most excellent début album Reversion. Hailing from Tauranga in New Zealand, the quintessential four-piece band aims for the sky with an album not for the faint hearted.
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The Bats - Free All The Monsters Album Review
08 Nov 2011 // A review by Burned_by_my_lighter
The first thing I notice when popping in The Bats new release, Free All The Monsters, is the distinct ‘Dunedin sound’ to which The Bats have been a part of, in their impressive thirty year career to date. Less is more with jingly guitars and loose drumming, summing up the Dunedin Sound perfectly.
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Kenbe La Foundation - Never Give Up Single Review
06 Nov 2011 // A review by Dilemma
Kenbe La [ken-bay lah] – the Haitian phrase for “never give up”, it is a brand new track produced by Paul Dodge from Minuit for The Kenbe La foundation, a charity set up to support childrens education in the earthquake stricken counrty of Haiti. Kenbe La is the title and theme of the track written in response to work being done to rebuild earthquake ravaged Haiti – namely the work of the very inspirational Kiwi Emily Sanson-Rejouis, who lost family in the quake and established the foundation to help support schools in the area.
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06 Nov 2011 // A review by Dilemma
Kenbe La [ken-bay lah] – the Haitian phrase for “never give up”, it is a brand new track produced by Paul Dodge from Minuit for The Kenbe La foundation, a charity set up to support childrens education in the earthquake stricken counrty of Haiti. Kenbe La is the title and theme of the track written in response to work being done to rebuild earthquake ravaged Haiti – namely the work of the very inspirational Kiwi Emily Sanson-Rejouis, who lost family in the quake and established the foundation to help support schools in the area.
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Ria Hall EP Review
06 Nov 2011 // A review by Dilemma
Ria Hall has had an interesting journey leading up to the release of her debut EP. She has wowed crowds touring with some of NZ's musical elite, backing up Hollie Smith, holding her own beside Anna Coddington in Eru Dangerspiel and singing with TrinityRoots.
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Shotgun Alley Album Review
06 Nov 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
I wanted to like Shotgun Alley, I truly did. Like any other band I felt they deserved a fair go.
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Bannerman - Dearly Departed Album Review
06 Nov 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
I've got a hunch that the new Bannerman album, Dearly Departed, is going to be played a lot in my house. From the first track I was hooked on the richness of the album, the layers of sound, the songwriting, the melancholy yet whimsical tone of the songs.
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Akaname Album Review
01 Nov 2011 // A review by CEOMong
I must say it's rather refreshing to hear an album like this, some real inventive action, and not a single word spoken by a vocalist. Amazing.
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Shapeshifter - Live at the Forum, Melbourne - 29/10/2011
01 Nov 2011 // A review by sidvicious
Shapeshifter represents New Zealand to me – festivals, trips to the Coromandel with friends, New Years, Big Day Out, beaches and beer. Hearing Bring Change can, in an instant, remind me of everything I love and miss about New Zealand; they’ve been the soundtrack to years and years worth of summers.
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1814 - Covers Album Review
29 Oct 2011 // A review by Dilemma
New Zealand’s far North premier reggae group 1814 bring the party with their sun-drenched blend of sweet soulful vocals, upbeat grooves and smooth sax lines with strong messages of peace, love and harmony. The Covers Album features 11 solid tracks from artists such as the “father of soul” Sam Cooke, the great Bill Withers, legendary country singer Johnny Cash and so many more, it is sure to impress.
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Midnight Youth - World Comes Calling Album Review
26 Oct 2011 // A review by terry666
Midnight Youth have only been around for a few years and but have already made huge inroads into the Kiwi rock scene. Their debut album 'The Brave Don’t Run' was released two years ago and featured 5 hit singles, making them a must see live act.
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Jeremy Mason - You Will Never Know Everything EP
25 Oct 2011 // A review by Mmdelai
Jeremy Mason's four track EP "You Will Never Know Everything" was self released in September, this his second release after "Distorted Vision". His solo music is subtle acoustic singer song writer stuff, a far cry from his period playing bass in kiwi punk band "Kill the Fake Patient".
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Jackal - Furnace Creek review
25 Oct 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
Auckland's Jackal remind me of a lot of several bands that I've liked since my wayward teenage years. That's not too much of a problem for me - a lot of bands imitate the sound of other bands - but it does make it difficult to describe their sound, or sometimes even determine what that sound is across their songs.
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Kive - Gravitate EP Review
20 Oct 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
Kive are one of those bands that you hear and wonder why you haven't heard them before. Originally a three piece post-rock outfit, the addition of former Brutally Frank vocalist Jeremy Frank has added another dimension to their sound.
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Funkommunity - Chequered Thoughts Album Review
20 Oct 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
Funkommunity slightly misled me, or at least the funk part of their name did. I was expecting something dripping with funk-ness, but instead found an album that was less funk and more soul.
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SINSIN - Layers EP Review
17 Oct 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
I spent a good portion of Sunday afternoon looking for something to listen to that would fit in with a stinking hangover. It takes a special kind of music to slot into a hangover and I wasn’t having much luck; everything was either too loud, or too mellow, or too fast, or too slow.
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Minuit - Live @ the San Francisco Bathhouse, Wellington - 15 October 2011
17 Oct 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
Minuit are one of those bands that people seem to either love or hate, and it was all about the love at a full San Francisco Bathhouse on Saturday. The night began with Wellington beat maker D:UNK, playing some funk heavy tunes that quickly turned an empty dance floor into a writhing mass of people and was the perfect warm-up for the main event.
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Bond St Bridge - Spring Summer Awesome Winter Album Review
16 Oct 2011 // A review by Burned_by_my_lighter
As a self confessed novice to some styles of the Indie genre, I wasn’t sure what to expect when popping in Bond Street Bridge’s second effort; Spring Summer Awesome Winter, but I was pleasantly surprised at the unique melody and softness of opening track ‘Aimless’ with its Mark Lanegan-esque style vocals that is suited to the blues/indie folk genre; one man band wonder, Sam Prebble is the man with the voice, string arrangements, mandolin and guitars behind Spring Summer... his follow up album to 2008’s The Mapmakers’ Art.
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Eminence/Darklight Corporation Guns of Dawn Tour @ The Royal, Sept 9 2011
16 Oct 2011 // A review by terry666
Eminence/Darklight Corporation Guns of Dawn Tour, The Royal, Palmerston North, Fri Sep 09 2011 Another night at The Royal in Palmy with metal from local executioners Bloodworx, two Wellington bands Evil In Eden and Darklight Corporation, and an international act to boot in Brazilian, Eminence. What a way to spend the night.
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K.One - Far From Home Album Review
14 Oct 2011 // A review by Dilemma
K.One is the future, firmly on the upward climb to his peak as a solo artist.
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DJ Definite - From Hell to Breakfast EP Review
14 Oct 2011 // A review by JohnS
Former dDub bass player Brent Stathdee has got back into making beats since the duo known as Definite & Bling took a hiatus in 2007. After 3 EP’s and an album with hard funk/Rock band Hangman, DJ Definite has turned back to making beats again.
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Mmdelai Self Titled EP Review
11 Oct 2011 // A review by Dilemma
Mmdelai has newly released a self titled EP, the first song White World sounds more like a dance club anthem with synth and heavy drums filling out the track. Described by the Groove Guild as a mix of "Aphex Twin and P.
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Cybiont - So Much Work For Love To Do Album Review
10 Oct 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
There’s such a proliferation of music being made on the Mac that it almost deserves its own genre. Unfortunately that wouldn’t help anyone trying to describe Cybiont’s fourth album, So Much Work For Love.
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Beltane - Auld Toby Album Review
06 Oct 2011 // A review by Petros
My interest in Beltane began as a sideline to my interest in the music of Palmerston North’s $lave Recordings. When people say the name Beltane their tone suggests there is some kind of dark back story, some hidden history I needed to know about.
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Scribe - Not Many Cities Single Review
05 Oct 2011 // A review by Dilemma
There really could have been no better ambassador to raise awareness for Christchurch than Scribe. The Southern born rapper who is known for his own quiet strength, persistence and resilience, has always been proud of his roots.
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Kerretta - Saansilo Album Review
01 Oct 2011 // A review by Burned_by_my_lighter
Experimental rock from Auckland, Kerretta, has been making quite a scene overseas lately with their powerful live shows and heavy instrumental sound. Anyone familiar with their debut album, 'Vilayer', released in 2009 will be reminded of the potential that inevitably has followed in the shape of their second album, 'Saansilo', released September 18.
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Kasium - So Electric Single Review
30 Sep 2011 // A review by Petros
Kasium’s latest single So Electric is crisp production, catchy riffs, catchier lyrics and a healthy dose of wholesome rock and roll. The single couldn’t have come at a better time.
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The Rabble - Life's A Journey Album Review
25 Sep 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
As soon as you start listening to the Rabble it’s hard to not draw comparisons between a bunch of 90’s punk and ska bands; bands like Rancid, Good Riddance, Green Day and so on. Their latest release Life's A Journey would easily sit amongst anything released by any of those bands; while there’s nothing distinctive about the music on the album, the songs are all well written and the recording is first class.
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Mel Parsons - Red Grey Blue Album Review
25 Sep 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
Mel Parsons may seem young but her latest album Red Grey Blue shows a weariness and a maturity belying her age. Many of the songs on the album have a dark streak running through them that speaks of harsh life experiences, although they’re balanced out by tracks like Things Will Get Good and We Will Find Love Again, both full of optimism for the future.
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Little Bushman and Electric Wire Hustle @ San Francisco Bathhouse, Wellington - 24 September 2011
25 Sep 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
Little Bushman and Electric Wire Hustle always manage to draw big crowds and when they decided to play together over two nights at Wellington’s San Francisco Bathhouse it was always going to be huge. From what I’ve heard the Friday night was a pretty amazing affair, so I headed along to the Saturday show with some pretty big expectations.
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Mountaineater, Left or Right, Full Fucking Moon and Ryan Prebble @ Bar Bodega, Wellington - 16 September 2011
17 Sep 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
Music fans turning up to Wellington’s Bar Bodega on Friday night were lucky to be treated to a wide range of musical styles. The Nudge’s Ryan Prebble kicked things off, playing solo for the night.
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Freaky Meat - Delicatessen Album Review
13 Sep 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
What do you get when you combine the drummer and guitarist of the Tutts with a jazz poet (not to mention a funky as bass player)? It’s not a joke but the punch line is Freaky Meat.
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Head Like a Hole & Cairo Knife Fight @ The Royal, Palmerston North
09 Sep 2011 // A review by Petros
A Savage Journey to the Heart of the Rock and Roll Dream. From a block away there is no sign of a crowd, the kind of thing you’d expect to see for a show like this.
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Crimson Rain - Are You Happy Now Single Review
07 Sep 2011 // A review by CEOMong
Nice soft finger pluckin intro, cool reverb. Nice bass thrum.
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Acoustic Gig @ Bar Medusa, 18 August 2011
04 Sep 2011 // A review by Burned_by_my_lighter
A freezing cold and windy Thursday night did little to deter the crowd from a hearty acoustic set courtesy of NZ Live Entertainment at Medusa. A last minute change of plan saw Darrel Vickers, vocalist for bands; Funkacybin and Smashed Potatoes (the latter originally scheduled to play) bash out a beautiful acoustic set of originals with awe and depth.
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04 Sep 2011 // A review by Burned_by_my_lighter
A freezing cold and windy Thursday night did little to deter the crowd from a hearty acoustic set courtesy of NZ Live Entertainment at Medusa. A last minute change of plan saw Darrel Vickers, vocalist for bands; Funkacybin and Smashed Potatoes (the latter originally scheduled to play) bash out a beautiful acoustic set of originals with awe and depth.
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Alphabethead's Wonderful World of the Weird @ Medusa, Wellington - 3 September 2011
04 Sep 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
When I walked into Medusa last night for Alphabethead’s Wonderful World of the Weird tour to find Hamilton’s DJ Indecline mixing and scratching hip hop and punk records, I knew the night was going to be an interesting one. The colourful circus-like backdrop behind him, and flags hanging around the walls, only added to the atmosphere.
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04 Sep 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
When I walked into Medusa last night for Alphabethead’s Wonderful World of the Weird tour to find Hamilton’s DJ Indecline mixing and scratching hip hop and punk records, I knew the night was going to be an interesting one. The colourful circus-like backdrop behind him, and flags hanging around the walls, only added to the atmosphere.
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Sonic Altar @ Bar Medusa, Wellington on 1 September 2011
03 Sep 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
A handful of hardy Wellington metal fans turned out on Thursday night at Medusa to witness Auckland retro-metallers Sonic Altar as part of their album release tour. Bringing with them fellow Aucklander's A Beautiful Chaos, and joined for the night by Kapiti Coast band Roadside Theory, we were set for a night of classic metal riffs, headbanging and finely honed stage acts.
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Luger Boa and Black River Drive @ The Royal, Palmerston North - 19 August 2011
02 Sep 2011 // A review by terry666
Double strength tour with The Rascal kings, Black river drive and Luger Boa 19/08/11 The Royal Palmerston north I was very excited about heading down to The Royal for great night of Rock n Roll lined up for the evening. The line up had locals The Rascal Kings, Black River Drive and Luger Boa a very electric brew to swill down on a winter’s night in Palmy.
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Secondi - Pre-album Release Review
31 Aug 2011 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
The meaning of cool has changed over time. Actually, it is not the meaning of the word that has changed, but rather what defines it.
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Jess Chambers - Hopeful Dreamer Single Review
29 Aug 2011 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Just as the first buds reveal themselves in our gardens at this time of year, and as the frosty mornings cede to a gentle sun, Jess Chambers has released her single ‘Hopeful Dreamer’ to mark the beginning of what is sure to be a beautiful Spring season. ‘Hopeful Dreamer’ is immaculate in its execution.
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Elliot Brown - Road To Destruction album review
28 Aug 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
At first I didn’t know what to make of Northland’s Elliot Brown. His claims of alt-country put me off, not being a genre I usually get into too much.
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28 Aug 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
At first I didn’t know what to make of Northland’s Elliot Brown. His claims of alt-country put me off, not being a genre I usually get into too much.
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Who is Chess Countess? Album Review
28 Aug 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
It's always a challenge for a musician to compose outside their genre of choice, something that Auckland's Chess Countess (aka Tamsyn Miller) seems to have struggled with. With a background in musicals and as a backing singer for several big names, as well as being classically trained in violin and voice, this should have been a strong EP.
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Backyard Burial Final Show @ San Francisco Bathhouse, Wellington, 26/08/2011
28 Aug 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
The first review I ever had published was of a Backyard Burial gig, so it was a great privilege to be able to photograph and review their farewell show. There were always going to be mixed emotions to this show.
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Head Like a Hole @ San Francisco Bathhouse, Wellington, 25/08/2011
28 Aug 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
The opportunity to review and photograph Head Like A Hole was the culmination of a long history/obsession with the band. I first saw a photo of HLAH when I was 11 and became a fan without even hearing their music; it was back when they were becoming known for their onstage antics - dressing up in plastic yellow tubing, playing naked, the sort of crazy behaviour that is appeals to a pre-teen music fan.
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Adeaze - Rise & Shine Album Review
25 Aug 2011 // A review by Dilemma
Duo Adeaze have released their second album called Rise & Shine, a follow up to the brothers’ double-platinum debut album Always and for Real, which was released in 2004. After taking time to focus on family and song writing, the Adeaze brothers have constructed a beautifully harmonious 12 track album.
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Hanna Grace - Concrete & Roses Album Review
22 Aug 2011 // A review by Dilemma
Singer songwriter Hanna Grace has just released her debut album Concrete & Roses, with a little harmless self-promotion it is based on an Adele-meets-Amy Winehouse sound and just the right balance of rhythm and seduction. Hanna is a true artist in every sense of the word and draws her inspiration from real life experiences.
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In Dread Response - Embers in the Spiritless Void Album Review
16 Aug 2011 // A review by River
From the outset In Dread Response’s second album, Embers in the Spiritless Void, lays down the gauntlet as an unrelenting and epic release. Musically comparable to international bands like Machine Head and Lamb of God, while defining their sound with a new level of creativity, In Dread Response builds on the theme of vengeful anger that is the basis of all great thrash, doom and melodic death metal.
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The Red Eyes - Red Army Album Review
14 Aug 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
Traditionally reggae has had either religion or politics as its driving force, which is understandable when it’s viewed as an outlet for the oppressed people of Jamaica. Lately though, reggae has tended to be subverted by the middle class and has been churned out in an easy listening format, almost a reggae-lite, more commonly associated with BBQs, beaches and beers.
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The Nudge - Big Nudge Pie Album Review
14 Aug 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
I had the pleasure of seeing The Nudge live a week ago (check out that review here), before hearing their debut album Big Nudge Pie this week, which may have slightly ruined the album for me. Playing live, the band are able to spend time exploring their musical ideas, expanding on them and adapting them.
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Beastwars @ Mighty Mighty, Wellington, 13 August 2011
14 Aug 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
Wellington’s Mighty Mighty last night became a seething mass of metallers, with local sludge fanatics Beastwars providing an apocalyptic soundtrack that nearly left the crowd in a state of physical and mental destruction. Usually catering to the more sedate sounds of indie hipsters, the bar may have been unprepared for the onslaught of bogans, stoners and general weirdoes, my own bad self included, that seem to accompany Beastwars wherever they go.
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Brooklyn State Hospital - The Doctor will Record you Now Album Review
09 Aug 2011 // A review by Petros
If you’re a regular listener of Massey University’s Radio Control 99.4fm, or have tuned in at all over the past month you’ve probably heard Pottsy shamelessly plug his band, Brooklyn State Hospital, and their Album Release Gig at the Celtic.
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09 Aug 2011 // A review by Petros
If you’re a regular listener of Massey University’s Radio Control 99.4fm, or have tuned in at all over the past month you’ve probably heard Pottsy shamelessly plug his band, Brooklyn State Hospital, and their Album Release Gig at the Celtic.
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The Nudge @ San Francisco Bathhouse, Wellington, 5/08/2011
06 Aug 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
It’s watching a man in a bunny suit bash out a mean five minute drum solo that makes you remember why live music can be so much fun – it's the unpredictable nature of it; no two gigs are ever the same. But that’s the end of the night; let’s start at the beginning.
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Head Like A Hole - Blood Will Out Album Review 2
03 Aug 2011 // A review by Petros
If you’ve never heard of Head Like a Hole give yourself a slap. Do it.
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Kieran Cooper - In Search of Reason Album Review
03 Aug 2011 // A review by Petros
The solo effort of Kasium vocalist and front man, Kieran Cooper is a relatively dark affair. It’s cut from the same cloth as Marilyn Manson’s acoustic material, for those dedicated fans who have heard that (For those who haven’t, listen to Kieran Cooper instead.
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David Dallas - Take A Picture Single Review
02 Aug 2011 // A review by Dilemma
'Take a Picture' is the most recent release from David Dallas off his new album The Rose Tint. It combines honest lyrics, his rapping talent and soulful singing in the chorus, with a solid hip hop beat in the background.
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Head Like A Hole - Blood Will Out Album Review
02 Aug 2011 // A review by terry666
Head Like A Hole aka HLAH are Kiwi Rock Legends. I have always loved these guys and their live shows were a sight to behold.
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The Slur-Tones, Pirate Sons and the Orphins @ Bar Bodega, Wellington 30/07/2011
31 Jul 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
I don’t know where Wellington’s music lovers were last night, but they sure weren’t at Bar Bodega. And that’s a shame because they missed a good night of rock’n’roll.
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31 Jul 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
I don’t know where Wellington’s music lovers were last night, but they sure weren’t at Bar Bodega. And that’s a shame because they missed a good night of rock’n’roll.
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Outrun the Buffalo - And Now They Live In A Zoo EP Review
31 Jul 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
Wow! Outrun the Buffalo should be the next BIG THING in New Zealand music.
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Agent - Vondelpark Single Review
28 Jul 2011 // A review by terry666
Agent's newest single Vondelpark Agent was formed in 2003 in Taranaki and were a huge part of local live scene. They were regulars in Palmerston North, with myself witnessing several of their shows.
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Concord Dawn - The Race to Zero EP Review
28 Jul 2011 // A review by sidvicious
The Race to Zero EP is only the second release since Concord Dawn’s two became one in 2008. But within the first few seconds of the opening track 1925, it’s pretty apparent that The Enemy Within was no fluke.
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Kasium - Premonition EP
28 Jul 2011 // A review by Petros
I realise that Kasium’s self-produced Premonition EP was released a good three years ago, but it’s a release I thought I needed to draw attention to. I’m not sure why these guys haven't taken off more than they have, they have a lot riding for them; the dark look, the rock angst, the cultural commentary video.
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Hand Me Downs - Void Single Review
27 Jul 2011 // A review by Dilemma
Raglan’s up and coming band, Hand Me Downs have released their debut single ‘Void.’ As the track starts you get the feeling that Raglan influences the sound with the track being very hipster, laid back and folk inspired.
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El Schlong - Time/Place Album Review
27 Jul 2011 // A review by River
It seems like ages since El Schlong released their groundbreaking album The Baddies Are Coming in 2008. The band described that release as “like Satan in the bath puzzled by the ginger pube on the soap.
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The Adventures Of Mikejoffa - Eventures EP review
26 Jul 2011 // A review by Burned_by_my_lighter
Upon seeing Adventures of Mikejoffa at their Eventures EP launch gig at Medusa back in May, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect before they took to the stage, as I only had heard snippets of a song or two. An hour and a half later I was grinning from ear to ear at what I had just heard, so I was excited to finally get my hands on their EP.
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Darklight Corporation - Pitchblack Album Review
25 Jul 2011 // A review by CEOMong
Darklight Corporation have packed a fuckload of wicked awesome rocking riffs and varied, yet simple and appropriately-audible lyrics, cool chewy samples and electronic bits strewn in just the right places to keep you guessing – there’s a little bit of everything in here. Not too much of one thing, nor too pushy and repetitive like sooooo many bands these days – varied enough you could listen to this album dozens of times and still not hear everything.
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Knives at Noon and The Frisk (Young Lyre) @ Bodega, 22/07/2011
23 Jul 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
You go to a gig by the band that provided the tune for the Telecom Android phone ad, yeah that song, and of course you'll go along with certain preconceived ideas about what you’re going to get for your hard earned dollars. But then when you arrive at Bar Bodega a four piece Irish blues folk rock band, complete with lap guitar, banjo and violin are playing and you don’t even know who they are because they weren’t on the bill originally.
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The Nomad - Perilous Times album review
17 Jul 2011 // A review by JohnS
Yes, after six years The Nomad (Daimon Schwalger) has been working hard and given us 'Perilous Times', a dupstep flavoured blend or reggae, drum and bass, electronica and Jungle to create a thing of absolute bliss. Through the creation and celebration of independent music, The Nomad, shares the story of his journeys.
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The 3Ds - We Bury The Living album review
17 Jul 2011 // A review by Petros
“This nation’s Sonic Youth” is the best way to describe the aural orgasm that is the music of The 3Ds. You don’t get music like this anymore.
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The Adults Album Review
13 Jul 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
Jon Toogood has long been one of my favourite musicians; from the early days of Shihad he has consistently created strong rock songs, and the energy he has for music is always apparent, whether on record or performing live, so I was interested to see what he’d come up with as the Adults. The Adults is an opportunity for him to show another side of himself, a softer, more melodic side - although there would be some who would argue that Shihad have been heading in that direction themselves over their last two albums.
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Paperscissors @ Bar Bodega, Wellington, 8/07/2011
10 Jul 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
I missed seeing Paperscissors perform recently with The Checks, a slip up on my part that, having now seen them play, I regret. For Paperscissors rock (I couldn’t resist…), and they do it well.
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Known Associates: Penny Love
05 Jul 2011 // A review by JohnS
It’s hard not to pick an album and solo judge the music inside by its cover. It’s the whole basis of trying something new, Do you like the look of them, are they wearing the latest fashions or even the classic do I know that guy?
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Force Fields and Sherpa @ Mighty Mighty, Wellington, 1/07/2011
04 Jul 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
I'm not sure how they usually celebrate Canada Day in Canada, but I suspect it doesn't involve a homage to the Trailer Park Boys TV series, complete with urine filled bottles and fake pot. But that's how I celebrated Canada Day this year (1 July) at Mighty Mighty in Wellington, with locals Force Fields and Auckland visitors Sherpa.
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04 Jul 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
I'm not sure how they usually celebrate Canada Day in Canada, but I suspect it doesn't involve a homage to the Trailer Park Boys TV series, complete with urine filled bottles and fake pot. But that's how I celebrated Canada Day this year (1 July) at Mighty Mighty in Wellington, with locals Force Fields and Auckland visitors Sherpa.
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Welcome to the FreeDay Album Review
01 Jul 2011 // A review by Petros
This week I have had the pleasure of reviewing FreeDay’s debut, ‘Welcome to the FreeDay.’ FreeDay is the brainchild of the talented husband and wife team Glen and Alex Donaghy and their backing band.
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F In Math - Couch EP Review
30 Jun 2011 // A review by sidvicious
Funk isn’t a term one would typically associated with music born of drum machines and synthesizers. But that’s the first word that came to mind after the opening minute of the opening track of F in Math’s first recorded album, Couch EP.
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Kidz In Space - Ghost Album Release Gig - Palmerston North 17 June 2011
26 Jun 2011 // A review by JohnS
The chilly, cold night is a constant companion as I head into Palmerston North to see Auckland based band Kidz in Space, on their third stop of their nation wide tour. Not only is this an all ages gig but it’s being held at the Palmerston North Convention Centre, a very unusual venue for a band to be playing.
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Ammp - From The Back of the Sun Album Review
20 Jun 2011 // A review by River
The first thing to strike me about Ammp’s debut album From The Back of the Sun, is the excellent packaging with nice photographs, song lyrics and production notes all stylishly presented in a 12 page foldout booklet. It’s good to see the bands professionalism doesn’t end with their musicianship.
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Jakob @ San Francisco Bathhouse - 11/06/2011
19 Jun 2011 // A review by Alistar3000
I have to admit up front that I've never heard much of Jakob before apart from the odd track on the internet, or played at friends’ houses. But I've yet to hear a bad thing from anyone who's ever seen them play and that, along with the fact that Tool chose them to open for them earlier in the year in Australia, is what got me down to the sold out San Francisco Bathhouse in Wellington last Saturday to check them out.
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Sweet Az Soundsystem - Costal Connection album review
12 Jun 2011 // A review by Dilemma
‘Coastal Connection’ has a totally unique and somewhat eccentric style combining the best of dub/dubstep/reggae and fusing a hint of drum n bass into an album created by producer DJ Kina (Simon Boyd) from The Versionaries and MC Extraordinaire RayJah45 (Raymond Te Oranga-Nolan), known as the Sweet Az Sound System. This collaboration can be best described as music with one foot firmly on the dance floor, with the conscious soulful vibes of RayJah and production of DJ Kina coming together to form a sound that appeals to a wide audience.
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Pacific Music Awards 2011
12 Jun 2011 // A review by Dilemma
This is the seventh year in a row that the highly anticipated Pacific Music Awards have descended on South Auckland for a spectacular night of live performance and Pacific pride. The PMA’s are so unique, there is still the flash of photographers, but surrounded by laughter and excitement, not duty.
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12 Jun 2011 // A review by Dilemma
This is the seventh year in a row that the highly anticipated Pacific Music Awards have descended on South Auckland for a spectacular night of live performance and Pacific pride. The PMA’s are so unique, there is still the flash of photographers, but surrounded by laughter and excitement, not duty.
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Crimson Rain - Why Single Review
06 Jun 2011 // A review by CEOMong
Presumably the remixed/revised/newest version of 'Why', as featured on the EP 'One By One'. It’s similar in just about every way; however the original for me is superior.
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Antagonist A.D - Old Bones Make New Blooms EP Review
06 Jun 2011 // A review by CEOMong
The latest offering from Antagonist A.D at first listen felt like it was missing something vital.
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Aly Cook - Brand New Day album review
06 Jun 2011 // A review by JohnS
Being one of New Zealand’s biggest secrets hasn’t stopped Aly Cook from doing big things. Described as a woman with a petite frame and a big voice her Debut album shows this to be fact rather than fiction.
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Capital Punishment - 28 May 2011 @ Bar Medusa, Wellington
04 Jun 2011 // A review by terry666
Capital Punishment 2, Bar Medusa, Wellington, 28 may 2011 Twelve hours, twelve bands, Heavy Metal heaven if you can handle it. Bar Medusa's Capital Punishment 2 featuring twelve Kiwi Metal bands is in its second year and what a line up.
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04 Jun 2011 // A review by terry666
Capital Punishment 2, Bar Medusa, Wellington, 28 may 2011 Twelve hours, twelve bands, Heavy Metal heaven if you can handle it. Bar Medusa's Capital Punishment 2 featuring twelve Kiwi Metal bands is in its second year and what a line up.
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Mali Mali - Brotherly EP Review
31 May 2011 // A review by sidvicious
Mali Mali is a relatively new Auckland-based three-piece headed by self-described singer/songwriter Ben Tolich. After parting with his band early last year, Tolich decided to focus on music with a rawer, more authentic sound.
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Crackpot Theory - Desperation Album Review
29 May 2011 // A review by Petros
This is a message for those people who read my Crackpot Theory Black Metal Much? review: I told you so.
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Kyuss Lives! @ Hunter Lounge, Wellington - Sunday May 15 2011
25 May 2011 // A review by Burned_by_my_lighter
Stoner rock, desert rock, acid rock; doesn't matter what you call it, there's no mistaking the sound of Kyuss when they hit the Hunter Lounge in Wellington, Sunday Night. The Hunter Lounge is a venue I'm not familiar with, located within Victoria University grounds, it boasts its own cafe and bar; a pretty classy place during the day, come nightfall and it transforms into the perfect venue for gigs, comedy nights and other events.
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25 May 2011 // A review by Burned_by_my_lighter
Stoner rock, desert rock, acid rock; doesn't matter what you call it, there's no mistaking the sound of Kyuss when they hit the Hunter Lounge in Wellington, Sunday Night. The Hunter Lounge is a venue I'm not familiar with, located within Victoria University grounds, it boasts its own cafe and bar; a pretty classy place during the day, come nightfall and it transforms into the perfect venue for gigs, comedy nights and other events.
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Last Train To Brockville - Shayne P Carter Tracks Back @ Bar Bodega, Welling - 6 May 2011
25 May 2011 // A review by terry666
LAST TRAIN TO BROCKVILLE…SHAYNE P CARTER TRACKS BACK Friday 6 May - Bodega, Wellington I’m a huge fan of Shayne Carter's from way back. I would have to say I discovered him rather late in the piece being lucky enough to see the last Straitjacket Fits show at the Big Day Out many many moons ago but it was at that time I was converted and that’s where I feel Shayne always shines.
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25 May 2011 // A review by terry666
LAST TRAIN TO BROCKVILLE…SHAYNE P CARTER TRACKS BACK Friday 6 May - Bodega, Wellington I’m a huge fan of Shayne Carter's from way back. I would have to say I discovered him rather late in the piece being lucky enough to see the last Straitjacket Fits show at the Big Day Out many many moons ago but it was at that time I was converted and that’s where I feel Shayne always shines.
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The Adventures Of Mikejoffa - Eventures EP Release Gig @ Bar Medusa, Wellington on 6 May 2011
25 May 2011 // A review by Burned_by_my_lighter
Making my way to Medusa bar on a freezing Friday night, I arrived with the happy notion of discounted drinks and my long awaited copy of Adventures Of Mikejoffa’s EP, Eventures, thanks to Doug ten Broeke. Familiar to Medusa’s small but perfectly formed size, I was a little taken back at the vacant space I could see all around me, wondering when or if it was going to start filling out by the time metal titans Red Dawn took to the stage.
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Simon Spire - Four Letter Words Album Review
19 May 2011 // A review by Dilemma
Simon Spire releases his second album, 'Four Letter Words'. The Lead single ‘Liberate Your Love’ hints at the slightly edgier direction Spire has taken on his second album, but without losing the alluring melody hooks and ambitious lyrics he is known for.
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Michelle Nadia - 'Firefly' Album Review
17 May 2011 // A review by sidvicious
Michelle Nadia is a singer/songwriter who has been writing and performing music both in New Zealand and overseas for many years. Accompanying her extensive nationwide tour is her long-awaited debut album Firefly.
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The DeSotos - Your Highway for Tonight Album Review
16 May 2011 // A review by Petros
For us too young to have been there on that fateful April night in 1968 all that we know of the Wahine Disaster are the grainy black and white photographs of the giant ship on its side and the distraught faces of those rescued from the lifeboats. There is some small feeling of nostalgia, but the whole event is too distant from us to inspire any feeling of what it was like and how it affected our nation.
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Sleepin Brains - All I Want, Lights Out, Rock & Road Single(s) Reviews
15 May 2011 // A review by CEOMong
Very 80s/90s somehow tastes of DragonForce, Lordi and even Motley Crue in some riffs – they’re somehow hair metallie, yet on the radio side of alternative rock, somewhere. All I Want Slow, tweaky intro.
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15 May 2011 // A review by CEOMong
Very 80s/90s somehow tastes of DragonForce, Lordi and even Motley Crue in some riffs – they’re somehow hair metallie, yet on the radio side of alternative rock, somewhere. All I Want Slow, tweaky intro.
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Miss Black & The Light - Black Light Album Review
13 May 2011 // A review by JohnS
The cold breath of winter is whispering at the door, so for me this means spending more time at home, curled in front of the fire with some choice kiwi sounds heating my soul and currently filling the void is the debut album from Miss Black and the Light. Miss Black (aka Ngatapa Black) is a bilingual singer songwriter more commonly found working for Maori television, but thankfully found time to bring us this unique blend of kiwiana entitled Black Light.
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Beastwars Album Review
12 May 2011 // A review by terry666
Beastwars Self-titled album ‘Beastwars’ have been around for some time and seem to be one of the bands I always miss seeing for some odd reason which guts me. They have been playing the Wellington scene with local Heavy metal bands like Razorwyre and Elephant of the Ocean and also played with some bigger names like High on Fire , The Melvin’s and the upcoming Kyuss shows.
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Black Boy Peaches - Company Feel Good Album Review
11 May 2011 // A review by River
Black Boy Peaches state that their modus operandi is to “write great music, make great records and play amazing gigs.” Clearly they’re well on their way to achieving these goals with the bands debut album ‘Company Feel Good.
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Disturbed @ TSB Bank Arena, Wellington - 4 May 2011
08 May 2011 // A review by CEOMong
Wifey & I made our way south 200Km from wicked sunshiney weather, to Taxman’s in WellieTron, where it was fully hosing down. Lucky the gig was inside!
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08 May 2011 // A review by CEOMong
Wifey & I made our way south 200Km from wicked sunshiney weather, to Taxman’s in WellieTron, where it was fully hosing down. Lucky the gig was inside!
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Avalanche City - Our New Life Above Ground Album Review
07 May 2011 // A review by trevf
Avalanche City - Our New Life Above The Ground It’s a great story this… musician Dave Baxter, just like another famous Dave (Grohl), records an entire album by himself, said album goes viral, gets picked up by a Big Record Company, gets top ten hit. That Hit, 'Love Love Love' kicks off the album, and is a clear statement of intent, really, a mid tempo sort-of-acoustic number with a big, catchy, feel-good chorus.
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Mr S - 'Get Rough With It' Review
03 May 2011 // A review by Petros
In twenty words Get Rough with It! is an acoustic blues rock tribute to an eclectic mix of contemporary jazz and blues standards in the key of rockabilly.
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03 May 2011 // A review by Petros
In twenty words Get Rough with It! is an acoustic blues rock tribute to an eclectic mix of contemporary jazz and blues standards in the key of rockabilly.
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Luger Boa - New Hot Nights Album Review
28 Apr 2011 // A review by terry666
Luger Boa – New Hot Nights It was with eager anticipation that I picked up my copy of Luger Boa's 'New Hot Nights'. Coming up to be released just a few weeks after another big rock album from Foo Fighters this album has a lot to live up to and a big ask to distract Rock fans from the Foo's latest effort and we didn't even have to worry cause this album kicks rock n roll arse.
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For those who are sleeping awake... AmosAnon Album Review
24 Apr 2011 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
When the gloom of the night creeps in, and the people enter into the realm of dreams, an artist sits awake, in Wellington. In his lack of sleep, without falling into his dreams, he churns out a series of songs that embody his frustration and fatigue.
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Leeches - Self Titled Debut EP
17 Apr 2011 // A review by River
I had a feeling I would like this CD, even before I put it in the machine and I was not disappointed. There’s something very impressive about the self-titled release by the Leeches with its hardcore, raw quality that will knock your socks off.
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PNC - Man on Wire Album Review
17 Apr 2011 // A review by Dilemma
PNC has really out done himself with his third release ‘Man on Wire,’ collaborating with some of New Zealand’s most innovative musicians and underlying the early tracks with movie sound bites makes for a brilliant sounding unique album. The first track Murder classically showcases PNC’s natural talent for making music and the balance that he is trying to portray hence the album title.
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Crimson Rain - The Mask Within - Single Review
14 Apr 2011 // A review by CEOMong
Single Review – Crimson Rain – The Mask Within (4:58) A gax-heavy gravid hook intro melts on in to somewhat bluesy melodic vox, before a steady, yet short, climb into the first chorus – man I’m getting chills! Coasting on down to the next verse, wicked awesome transitions, no harshness drops, just silk city the whole way through.
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Box Juice - Sunrise Ave Album Review
12 Apr 2011 // A review by Petros
Box Juice's Sunrise Ave is a tropical cocktail of the same ilk as Kiwi greats Katchafire; reggae that remains true to its Jamaican roots with a subtle hint of South Pacific flavour. It's peaceful music for peace.
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Computers Want Me Dead EP Review
08 Apr 2011 // A review by sidvicious
Electro-synth pop is one of my favourite genres of music and it’s refreshing to see kiwi kids experimenting with it. Computers Want Me Dead, like Kids of 88 and The Naked and Famous, are part of that group of young New Zealanders who are proving that we can make synthpop just as catchy and fun as our British and Germanic counterparts.
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Shapeshifter - System Remix Album Review
08 Apr 2011 // A review by sidvicious
There’s no debating that Shapeshifter are one of New Zealand’s most successful musical exports, and it’s not hard to see why. Shapeshifter are quite simply phenomenal and because they’ve proven it to me so many times before, I’m always expecting amazing things with the release of any new singles, albums or live tours.
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State Of Mind - Nil By Ear Album Review
07 Apr 2011 // A review by sidvicious
I’m not nearly any sort of ‘bass-head’ by any stretch of the imagination, but State of Mind have proven to me once again why I rate them as one of my favourite New Zealand groups. Their new album Nil By Ear is up there with one of the best drum and bass albums to come out of New Zealand, and when you’re among such talent as Shapeshifter and Six60, that’s a pretty impressive accomplishment.
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Minuit - 'I Felt Like a Fight, Alright?' Ruth Carr Book Review
02 Apr 2011 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
This book comes presented to you straight from the mind of Ruth Carr. “I Felt Like a Fight, Alright?
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Blue Blood - Top Shelf Woman Album Review
30 Mar 2011 // A review by River
Blue Blood’s debut album Top Shelf Woman exudes good times from start to finish. Best described as a rock solid funkadelic escapade into jazzaliscious dynamics, with some stonking blues soul to get your heart pumping, it’s really something you should pick up today.
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The Thomas Oliver Band - Baby I'll Play Album Review
26 Mar 2011 // A review by Dilemma
When you listen to a lot of music it becomes hard to find songs, bands or even musicians that actually capture your attention and where it does not feel like its just a passive listening experience. Listening to the harmonica in the first track Goin Home on ‘Baby, I’ll Play,’ the new release from the Thomas Oliver Band instantly drew me in.
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Crash Test For Favourite Things - The Powers That Be EP Release Party - March 19 @ Juice Bar, Parnell
24 Mar 2011 // A review by sidvicious
So after having the pleasure of reviewing Crash Test for Favourite Things’ brand spanking EP The Powers That Be, they invited me along to their EP release party on Saturday night at Juice Bar in Parnell. Like I said, before I reviewed the EP, I’d never even heard of Auckland four-piece Crash Test for Favourite Things.
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Ivy Lies - Little Mind Games Album Review
20 Mar 2011 // A review by Dilemma
Ivy Lies recently completed the recording of their debut album Little Mind Games and it seems that listening to this album it will definitely remain on your mind. The girls of Ivy Lies have perfected pop-rock with high energy, aggressive drums and assertive rock guitar, making music that makes you pound your invisible drum sticks.
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George FM Year book 2010 Mixed by Dick 'Magik' Johnson
15 Mar 2011 // A review by JohnS
Newly released George FM Year book 2010, proudly mixed by resident DJ Dick ‘Magik’ Johnson has hit the shelves, putting the biggest and hottest tunes from 2010 from the airwaves and cutting them into shape for your listening pleasure. Dick ‘Magik’ Johnson has been throwing down bass in NZ since he moved over from the UK in early 2000 and has been welcomed by bass heads nationwide.
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15 Mar 2011 // A review by JohnS
Newly released George FM Year book 2010, proudly mixed by resident DJ Dick ‘Magik’ Johnson has hit the shelves, putting the biggest and hottest tunes from 2010 from the airwaves and cutting them into shape for your listening pleasure. Dick ‘Magik’ Johnson has been throwing down bass in NZ since he moved over from the UK in early 2000 and has been welcomed by bass heads nationwide.
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SeaBed Review
15 Mar 2011 // A review by Petros
A lot of people, from the average to the more unusual New Zealander, would never have heard of, imagined or ever encountered the obscure ‘music’ that finds it’s home under the umbrellas of the Ambient, Post-Rock genres. To save you the Wikipedia search “Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.
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Cern - Terminus Album Review
15 Mar 2011 // A review by sidvicious
Admittedly, drum and bass isn’t something I listen to on a regular basis, but that’s part of the reason I was looking forward to this hearing this album. Personal listening habits aside, New Zealand is a country that continues to produce world class electronica, with giants like Shapeshifter dominating overseas’ drum and bass scenes.
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Nort - Lifestyles of Bleeding Album Review
15 Mar 2011 // A review by River
Nort’s new nine-track album is obviously a parent free zone but once the lyrics kick in you might need to hold your mammas hand. Best described as an unrelenting audio assault and not for the faint hearted, Lifestyle of Bleeding has crushing guitars, ballistic bass lines and ruthless drums that will render you incapacitated and requiring a medical certificate.
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Phil Edwards Band - Slow Borders Album Review
14 Mar 2011 // A review by Petros
What we have here is the peanut slab of New Zealand music; no pretence, just good honest Kiwi music. Unfortunately that leaves out that portion of the audience that are allergic to nuts, but that takes nothing away from Slow Borders.
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Her Make Believe Band - 6 Feb - Harbourlight, Lyttelton
14 Mar 2011 // A review by Mmdelai
Her Make Believe Band is a talented acoustic duo made up of Cy Winstanley and Vanessa McGowan. Formed in the UK, the band have been touring the country recently - I was lucky enough to catch their Lyttelton performance.
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Wall of Silents and Barbecued Babies, 12 March 2011 @ The Factory, Palmerston North
13 Mar 2011 // A review by terry666
Wall of Silent’s and Barbecued babies, 12/03/2011 the Factory, Palmerston north The Factory really is a cool venue small, but can still get a few people in. Bizarre Punishment was playing their first show and they didn’t do too bad a job.
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Homegrown 2011
13 Mar 2011 // A review by terry666
Homegrown Rock Stage 5 March 2011 @ Wellington Waterfront I have wanted to go to Homegrown for a long time and this year I was not going to miss it. The line up for the Rock Stage was massive with Midnight Youth opening, some of my favourite’s in-between and Blindspott headlining.
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13 Mar 2011 // A review by terry666
Homegrown Rock Stage 5 March 2011 @ Wellington Waterfront I have wanted to go to Homegrown for a long time and this year I was not going to miss it. The line up for the Rock Stage was massive with Midnight Youth opening, some of my favourite’s in-between and Blindspott headlining.
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High on Fire and The Melvins Gig Review
10 Mar 2011 // A review by terry666
High on Fire and The Melvins - 23/02/2011 - Bodega, Wellington The Melvins and High on Fire were checking in at Christchurch Airport when the Earthquake hit. You have to secretly wonder whether it was the show these guys did the night before that triggered it because they were definitely off the Richter scale for their delayed Wellington show.
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10 Mar 2011 // A review by terry666
High on Fire and The Melvins - 23/02/2011 - Bodega, Wellington The Melvins and High on Fire were checking in at Christchurch Airport when the Earthquake hit. You have to secretly wonder whether it was the show these guys did the night before that triggered it because they were definitely off the Richter scale for their delayed Wellington show.
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Ruby Frost - Moonlight EP Review
09 Mar 2011 // A review by Bela
So this is not normally the type of music I would be drawn to. After listening to this 4 track EP numerous times over, I think that it's time to broaden my horizons.
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Horror story 19/02/2011 the Royal, Palmerston North
07 Mar 2011 // A review by terry666
Horror Story 19/02/2011 the Royal, Palmerston North It feels like forever since Horror Story have been to Palmy so I was very excited at the prospect of seeing them again. With three local bands playing support this was looking like another great night of local music and it was a great night we got.
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An Emerald City - The Fourth Album Review
03 Mar 2011 // A review by River
Haven’t heard of An Emerald City before? That’s OK, I’m here to get you acquainted.
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Made in China and Osmium Southern Deliverence Tour 11/02/2011
01 Mar 2011 // A review by terry666
Osmium and Made in China Southern Deliverance Tour 11/02/2011 The Factory, Palmerston North The Factory is a very cool little venue. Enough people know about it to get in a crowd but not too many to ruin the intimacy.
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Ulcerate @ Bodega, Wellington - 12/02/2011
01 Mar 2011 // A review by terry666
Ulcerate 12/02/2011 Bodega, Wellington Bodega is an awesome venue with great sound and lighting and I was very excited at the thought of seeing Ulcerate playing tonight. I caught the end of the set from support band Bulletbelt a Black metal act from Wellington.
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NRG Rising - From Darkness to Light
27 Feb 2011 // A review by BrendaF
This is the debut album for a hard working mother and daughter trio from Hamilton with their roots solidly grounded in reggae. Despite only being around for 18 months, they have crammed a lot in including gigs throughout the Auckland/Bay of Plenty/Gisborne/Hawkes Bay areas and headlining a number of festivals and now, an album.
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House Of Shem - Island Vibrations Album Review
24 Feb 2011 // A review by Dilemma
House of Shem could well be the first family of Reggae in New Zealand. Not only are they Whanau, but between all the band members they have played in pioneering New Zealand Reggae bands and built the sound of reggae in our country through their impeccable credentials.
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Crash Test For Favourite Things - The Powers That Be EP Review
24 Feb 2011 // A review by sidvicious
In the spirit of honesty I want to first admit that upon undertaking this review I had never even heard of Crash Test for Favourite Things. I’m somewhat ashamed of that, as these Auckland boys (with a few changes in the lineup) have been making sounds around my hometown since 2004.
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The Jury & The Saints - Daydreams Album Review
24 Feb 2011 // A review by River
To look at this CD you might think WTF and not give it a second chance. But if you get past the initial shock at the quirkiness of the eco friendly packaging, you'd be well pleased you did, and a lot more besides.
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Anna Coddington - Cat & Bird Album Review
19 Feb 2011 // A review by JohnS
The second release from Anna Coddington entitled 'Cat & Bird' has just been released two years after her debut album entitled 'The Lake'. Musically grown with a higher focus on a more mainstream sound from the previous album but with the same lyrical talent being showcased.
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Splore-City Festival, Auckland Town Hall. February 11th and 12th.
18 Feb 2011 // A review by Dilemma
SPLOREific, SPLOREtastic, if you ever get the chance to exSplore SPLORE do it!!! Splore is not your average music festival.
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18 Feb 2011 // A review by Dilemma
SPLOREific, SPLOREtastic, if you ever get the chance to exSplore SPLORE do it!!! Splore is not your average music festival.
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Nevernudes - Creepy Crawlies EP Review
16 Feb 2011 // A review by Mmdelai
Nevernudes (ONEWORDPLEASE) are a four piece punk band from Auckland on Mole Music http://www.molemusicltd.
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Jayson Norris - Freedom Twenty Eight Album Review
14 Feb 2011 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Beyond the golden cast Iron Gate, is situated an expressive and deep lake full of musical magic and melodic histories. When you slip open the card case of Freedom Twenty Eight you will discover a gem of an album by internationally renowned musician Jayson Norris.
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Ruby Fusion - Disciplinary Hearings Album Review
13 Feb 2011 // A review by trevf
Ruby FusionDisciplinary Hearings Debut full length CD from a Christchurch 4 piece who claim they are “old enough to know better”. It's hard to find much background on this group – A bit of internet digging does reveal links with the Equus record label which appears to be a collective enterprise that has some interesting ideas and which provides a neat phrase describing the sound of the band -“folky-punky blues”.
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2011's Big Day Out
01 Feb 2011 // A review by sidvicious
The line-up for Big Day Out 2011 was completely polarising for most fans of New Zealand’s most beloved festival. While it was obvious the festival was trying to reconnect with its original roots by bringing back acts like Tool, Iggy and the Stooges and Rammstein, a lot of the newer generation fans I spoke to were disgusted by the heavy-rock centric line-up.
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01 Feb 2011 // A review by sidvicious
The line-up for Big Day Out 2011 was completely polarising for most fans of New Zealand’s most beloved festival. While it was obvious the festival was trying to reconnect with its original roots by bringing back acts like Tool, Iggy and the Stooges and Rammstein, a lot of the newer generation fans I spoke to were disgusted by the heavy-rock centric line-up.
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A Day At Parachute 2011
30 Jan 2011 // A review by miss nz
Last week I covered Big Day Out starting off mentioning that I’d been to seven of the Auckland events in seven years, which seemed to go down quite well with readers. So for Parachute this year, I’m going to do the same, but different because Parachute will always be a little different to the rest of the festivals here in New Zealand.
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30 Jan 2011 // A review by miss nz
Last week I covered Big Day Out starting off mentioning that I’d been to seven of the Auckland events in seven years, which seemed to go down quite well with readers. So for Parachute this year, I’m going to do the same, but different because Parachute will always be a little different to the rest of the festivals here in New Zealand.
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The Karrados - A Means to an End EP Review
28 Jan 2011 // A review by River
There's a lot of really good music around these days and if you want to stand out from the crowd, you need something new. That's exactly what The Karrados are, right down to their original name.
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Big Day Out 2011
25 Jan 2011 // A review by miss nz
Big Day Out 2011 was my seventh in seven years, and if you know a thing or two about numbers and their spiritual meaning, this one is particularly magical. I can’t confirm such beliefs, as my seventh experience definitely had its share of crappy moments, but don’t cry pussycat – there were good times too.
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25 Jan 2011 // A review by miss nz
Big Day Out 2011 was my seventh in seven years, and if you know a thing or two about numbers and their spiritual meaning, this one is particularly magical. I can’t confirm such beliefs, as my seventh experience definitely had its share of crappy moments, but don’t cry pussycat – there were good times too.
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AmosAnon - TheLachrymist Album Review
24 Jan 2011 // A review by CEOMong
CD review – AmosAnon – The Lachrymist An intensely packaged CD, from very cleverly handwritten CD label to subtle supernatural themed liners beckoning further investigation, this is one entrancing album – even before its inserted in the tray. When you do insert the thing, rip it, seed it, and finally play it, you find it’s diverse yet cohesive, every track is subtly different yet linked so smoothly, it’s really well done.
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Big Day Out 2011
23 Jan 2011 // A review by CEOMong
We rose to a beautifully overcast and slightly breezy morning, a veteran BDO campaigners’ wish come true – no sunburn today, and the mosh might almost be cool for once! A short public transport ride later, and the semi-traditional pre-event carbo loading, we clambered off the train along with veterans and newbies alike, and trekked off to the BDO.
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23 Jan 2011 // A review by CEOMong
We rose to a beautifully overcast and slightly breezy morning, a veteran BDO campaigners’ wish come true – no sunburn today, and the mosh might almost be cool for once! A short public transport ride later, and the semi-traditional pre-event carbo loading, we clambered off the train along with veterans and newbies alike, and trekked off to the BDO.
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Timothy Armstrong - 'Portraits' Album Review
22 Jan 2011 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Timothy Armstrong’s second solo album Portraits is more vivid than just brush strokes. It is more fluid than snapshots.
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The Midnights - 'Outside' Album Review
14 Jan 2011 // A review by Dilemma
The Midnights are an all-original New Zealand soul roots reggae band that are very well known for their lives shows. They have a very classic approach with slower Roots Reggae reminiscent of old school Marley.
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Recloose 'Early Works' Album Review
10 Jan 2011 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Recloose has revisited some of the works from earlier on his career, and put together his 'Early Works' album. It is a chance for the artist to look back along the musical path he has travelled.
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Detonate Festival 31/12/2010 New years Taranaki
07 Jan 2011 // A review by terry666
Detonate Festival 2010 New Years Taranaki Detonate 2010. Wow.
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07 Jan 2011 // A review by terry666
Detonate Festival 2010 New Years Taranaki Detonate 2010. Wow.
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The Dylan Storey Band - The Power of Suggestion album review
02 Jan 2011 // A review by Petros
For those of you that frequent the muzic.net.
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Sleeping Dogs - 'Myth Reducer' Album Review
29 Dec 2010 // A review by Petros
Do you feel that ‘Epic’ is a word thrown around with such enthusiasm these days that it has become blocked by the filters of selective hearing and any associated meaning is sucked out of it? Then listen to this album.
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Let The People Speak Compilation album 2010
12 Dec 2010 // A review by terry666
Let the people speak Compilation album 2010 Let the people speak is a compilation of Kiwi artists from all different genres. The album opens with a track from indie rockers Artisan Guns with the rockier of their two featured songs there slower side being shown later with the track 'Autumn'.
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12 Dec 2010 // A review by terry666
Let the people speak Compilation album 2010 Let the people speak is a compilation of Kiwi artists from all different genres. The album opens with a track from indie rockers Artisan Guns with the rockier of their two featured songs there slower side being shown later with the track 'Autumn'.
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Hellborne - Self Titled Album Review
10 Dec 2010 // A review by Petros
If you’re from Palmerston North and haven’t been to a Hellborne gig, you’re too late and I pity you. You have missed out on one hell of an experience and you've missed out on witnessing Palmerston North’s fundamental swamp-metal bands and one of the most legendary in action.
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Luger Boa - Rock n Roll Riot @ The Royal, Palmerston North - 26/11/2010
05 Dec 2010 // A review by terry666
The Earlybirds, The Checks and Luger Boa. Rock n Roll Riot.
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Minuit - Dance Music Will Tear Us Apart EP Review
04 Dec 2010 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
‘Creative differences’ are the dreaded words every fan hopes never to hear about their beloved bands. They are the terms for the official split of a band.
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Tainted 20/11/2010 Scorpio Party, The Basement, New Plymouth
01 Dec 2010 // A review by terry666
Tainted - 20/11/2010 @ Scorpio Party, The Basement, New Plymouth It's a little drive up from Palmy to the Naki but it was well worth the ride. It was my first venture to the infamous Scorpio Party and I must say I was very excited.
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Turbostill - Liquid Rock n' Roll
30 Nov 2010 // A review by Petros
I recently rediscovered Turbostill’s third outing, Liquid Rock n’ Roll, in my music collection and can only conclude that I must have bought the CD at a local show I have no recollection of. This album represents everything your mother discouraged when you were growing up, but secretly did behind your back.
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Steriogram - Taping The Radio | Album Review
25 Nov 2010 // A review by miss nz
Oh dear...it seems I’m showing my age when I say this, but I remember when Steriogram first hit the scene eleven years ago now.
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Cybiont - Review - Music from a Living Universe & Dark Side of my Spoon
24 Nov 2010 // A review by JohnS
Cybiont’s third release was a refreshing album to review. It’s a lot different to everything I have reviewed before but I was looking for a challenge and I found it.
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Cage Demise - 13/11/2010 @ The Factory, Palmerston North
23 Nov 2010 // A review by terry666
Cage Demise - 13/11/2010 @ The Factory, Palmerston North The Factory was only half full on this night but the crowd that was there were not about to let that stop them having a great time. They still had a pit and there was plenty of moshing.
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The Veils - Sun Gangs Album Review
19 Nov 2010 // A review by Mmdelai
It was a trip to Real Groovy on the first day this album came out for me, I raced back to the car, eager to find inspiration in The Veil's new album "Sun Gangs". I have always been so moved by the sparse, reverb drenched music of The Veils - Finn Andrew's compositions have a mystery about them that leaves me pouring over the tracks repeatedly.
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Svelte - Cat's Paw Album Review
16 Nov 2010 // A review by Petros
If you're a contemporary Kiwi you've heard of Supergroove, in which case you've also inadvertently heard of two thirds of Svelte and the other third is usually mentioned in the shadow of his father - any one who's watched Outrageous Fortune has heard the band Hello Sailor before, but they probably did not know it was his father that played bass on track 8 of their 2006 acoustic album. He's also known as the cousin of Nicky Watson's Ex, who is also famous for being the drummer in an underground New Zealand band, Blindspott.
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Barracks - We Are The Lions EP Review
14 Nov 2010 // A review by CEOMong
Well balanced and full of hooks, this is a non-stop piece of work, it could easily be something you’d hear out of the states, somehow a real mature but fresh sound too. I really really like it, and I genuinely like it more the more I hear.
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Eva Prowse - I Can't Keep Secrets Album Review
12 Nov 2010 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
It is difficult to believe that I Can't Keep Secrets is the debut album by Eva Prowse. This album sounds so refined and polished it is hard to believe this is a first effort.
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Brooke Fraser - Flags Album Review
11 Nov 2010 // A review by Dilemma
Putting on the new album Flags by Brooke Fraser surprised me. What I heard was completely unexpected, raw, country maybe even a little bit of bluegrass?
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Ladi6 - Liberation of.... Album Release, Powerstation Nov 5th
09 Nov 2010 // A review by Dilemma
Ladi6 (Karoline Tamati) is no doubt our most talented female MC, with the pedigree she has it's only natural that she would dominate the funk/soul genre in NZ music. On the release of her second album she radiated style and beauty with an overwhelming sense of joy to be back home in NZ.
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Wall of Silents - self titled album review
09 Nov 2010 // A review by terry666
Wall of silent’s self-titled album Hailing from Palmerston North, Wall of Silents is a four piece Doom/Stoner Metal outfit. They were quick to establish themselves on the local pub scene and always put on an energetic performance.
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Crackpot Theory - Black Metal Much? CD Review
05 Nov 2010 // A review by Petros
It’s hard to believe this is the product of a brooding teenage boy locked in his bedroom. Like all their other releases Crackpot Theory’s Dan Ashcroft records and plays everything on this record by himself, but unlike previous releases it doesn’t show.
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Specials: Remixes and Versions from Solid Ground by The Black Seeds
27 Oct 2010 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
From an ice cold refresher on a 31 degrees Celsius afternoon, The Black Seeds Specials: Remixes and Versions from Solid Ground is like swirling around a cube of ice in your glass and watching it melt into the ripples of the drink. Specials features new remixes from The Black Seeds 2008 album Solid Ground.
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Dear Time's Waste - Spells Album Review
25 Oct 2010 // A review by trevf
Dear Time's Waste operates as a flexible lineup with its focus through singer and main writer Claire Duncan. The sound has been evolving over the last two or so years, and this is and this is their first full length album after the 5 song EP 'Room for Rent'.
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Dam Native - Aotearoa... Nobody Does It Better Album Review
25 Oct 2010 // A review by Dilemma
Dam Native return 15 years after the release of the classic 'Kaupapa Driven Rhymes Uplifted' to blow us away with their second album 'Aotearoa... 'Nobody Does It Better'.
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Emma Paki - Trinity Album Review
25 Oct 2010 // A review by Dilemma
In 1993 Emma Paki was the new fresh face of New Zealand music. 'Trinity' comes to us with the same raw, troubled soul that so beautifully put together 'Oxygen of Love'.
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CHARTDISC Volume 4 New School vs Old School Review
20 Oct 2010 // A review by River
With a hot pink eco-friendly package, Christchurch's ChartDisc certainly stands out from the crowd. Now onto the music...
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20 Oct 2010 // A review by River
With a hot pink eco-friendly package, Christchurch's ChartDisc certainly stands out from the crowd. Now onto the music...
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Eru Dangerspiel - Great News for the Modern Man Tour, Auckland Town Hall, October 9th 2010
15 Oct 2010 // A review by Dilemma
Well what can you say about Riki Gooch... the Maharaj of experimental music in New Zealand.
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Vodafone NZ Music Awards 2010
14 Oct 2010 // A review by miss nz
Very much the fan of a pretty frock, I was in heaven at the 45th New Zealand Music Awards last Thursday evening at the Vector Arena. The red carpet was filled with so many beautiful people that it was hard to know where to look, let alone who to shoot.
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14 Oct 2010 // A review by miss nz
Very much the fan of a pretty frock, I was in heaven at the 45th New Zealand Music Awards last Thursday evening at the Vector Arena. The red carpet was filled with so many beautiful people that it was hard to know where to look, let alone who to shoot.
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Surf Friends - Confusion Album Review
13 Oct 2010 // A review by Bela
So with the bright, cartoon album cover of 'Confusion' I wasn't sure what to expect, or even what genre of music this would be. Definitely did not expect not what was delivered.
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Crimson Rain - One By One EP Review
12 Oct 2010 // A review by CEOMong
A tantalisingly short, albeit wickedly sweet, album; laden with choppy bassy rhythmic bits and precise gax, all nicely mixed with some diverse vox. I can’t wait to hear a whole album, or even better, see them live.
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Eva Prowse Youngest Child single review
12 Oct 2010 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
With a heaven-sent beginning of an angelic choir, you slowly unravel the golden foil and unveil the goodness waiting inside... ‘Youngest Child’ a single from Eva Prowse’s debut album I Can’t Keep Secrets is a sweet piece of confectionary.
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Stellar* - Best Of album review
12 Oct 2010 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Looking at this CD, I wish this album never had to come out. The superbly successful group Stellar* have come out with a Best Of album.
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Black River Drive - Perfect Flaws Album Review
08 Oct 2010 // A review by River
Black River Drive has clearly put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into their debut album 'Perfect Flaws'. The ten tracks are so cohesive that, as a reviewer, it was difficult pulling them to pieces.
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Bannerman - The Dusty Dream Hole Album Review
01 Oct 2010 // A review by River
If we could combine the voices of Greg Johnson with a dash of Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Jeff Buckley we would be close to the sultry and charismatic voice of Richard Setford. This clever fellow also composed, produced and engineered the fourteen-tracks in conjunction with Olly Harmer, who recorded the drums and did the mastering and mixing at The Lab in Mt Eden.
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Mmdelai - Music for Sleep and Creativity album review (Annemarie Duff)
29 Sep 2010 // A review by Dilemma
Listening to Christchurch downbeat artist Mmdelai (aka Annemarie Duff) is definitely a new experience. The CD called ‘Music for Sleep and Creativity’ was born out of a personal need for the artist, who "was having trouble sleeping so [this sort of music] was what I was listening to at the time.
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Concord Dawn - The Enemy Within album review
29 Sep 2010 // A review by trevf
Concord Dawn - The Enemy Within For those unfamiliar, lets talk a bit about drum n bass: heavy on repetition, groove, and timbre, melodic lines tend to be short and rhythmically derived, and harmonic progression tends to be limited. Dynamics are achieved through the process of breaking down a piece by removing of instrument lines, and then adding them back in again, either gradually or at once.
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Kids Of 88 - Sugarpills | Album Review
26 Sep 2010 // A review by miss nz
When a band describes their music as 'a cross between a late 80s police drama intro theme and a sophisticated super hussy', it's pretty much impossible to hold onto that curiosity for long, before delving in to find out who and what these people are all about. So did curiosity kill this kitty after getting her paws on Kids of 88's debut album, Sugarpills?
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2 a.m. Orchestra - Fire Escape | EP Review
20 Sep 2010 // A review by miss nz
After listening to and adoring the wondrous tunes of David Kelley’s ‘project’, 2 a.m.
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2 a.m. Orchestra - Gig Review | Go Vino | Hamilton
20 Sep 2010 // A review by miss nz
The 18th September will definitely go down as one of the stormiest days in Hamilton, but I’ll always remember it as the day I finally got to see the lads of 2 a.m.
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Tommy Ill self-titled album review
19 Sep 2010 // A review by Dilemma
Apparently, it’s all about Pokemon and if Pokemon talked I’m sure they would say that this LP is the soundtrack to their lives! The first thing that really hit me when listening to Tommy Ill’s lasted release is that I feel like this is something I have not listed to before and was not sure what time I would put it on, just that I knew I needed to listen to it more.
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Devils Elbow - Sand On Chrome Album Review
12 Sep 2010 // A review by Bela
With a name like Devils Elbow, I wasn't too sure what to expect from this album. It left me pleasantly surprised.
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Hellborne Final Gig Review 1 - 3 Sept 10 - The Royal, Palmerston North
07 Sep 2010 // A review by CEOMong
I strolled on in to the Royal on a crisp, expectant, and and oddly sober night, one Friday in dirty ole Swamp Central, to find a dedicated, expectant, and impressive crowd. After making the customary exchange at the door, I was the proud owner of a red stamp, and more importantly, Hellborne's final self-titled CD – one with some stunning artwork and even more stunning content.
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Decortica - Love Hotel Album Review
07 Sep 2010 // A review by miss nz
Words by Amanda Ratcliffe Three-piece alternative-rock act, Decortica have been going strong for the past five years now, and have just ‘given birth’ to their second album titled Love Hotel. I don’t use the term ‘given birth’ lightly by the way, as this release is clearly the result of much love - not only by the band, but the people they have come to know while creating their tunes for the album.
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Cybiont Reviews
29 Aug 2010 // A review by Shade
Angels & Demons2010Musical Bricolage as Metaphor“You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?
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November Zulu - Black Yellow White Album Review
22 Aug 2010 // A review by River
Something special happens when likeminded musicians get together to make the music they love and this is abundantly clear with November Zulu's debut album entitled 'Black Yellow White'. With a deeply rich sound driving the songs along in a powerful and stirring way and Geordie Meade's charismatic vocals tightly tied together with exquisite compositions, November Zulu display a thorough understanding of what rock n roll is all about.
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Frozen Alice - The Torino Scale Album Review
21 Aug 2010 // A review by River
From the opening track Everyday with its quieter moments that slowly build into commanding riffs, I knew I was in for something special. This song knocked my socks off!
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Sola Rosa - Get It Together; The Remixes
20 Aug 2010 // A review by Dilemma
The first thing I want to say about this CD is GO BUY IT; it is easily the best CD out so far this year. If you liked 'Get It Together', the Remixes album is not just a documentation of life, or a soundtrack to summer that you reminisce with, the more you listen to it, it becomes a way of life.
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Eru Dangerspiel - Great News for the Modern Man - Live at the Auckland Town Hall.
20 Aug 2010 // A review by Dilemma
Recorded Live at the Auckland Town Hall. As far as music goes, Eru Dangerspiel is in a fresh new league of its own.
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Roofdog - Self Titled Album Review
13 Aug 2010 // A review by River
Roofdog is a five-piece ska band from West Auckland and this self-titled album is the bands first release since forming in 1998. We really have been waiting a while for this one, however there's a marked difference between a band that is naturally tight because of countless practices and gigs and one that rushes to get something released without finding that X factor in the mix.
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Hangman - Version One Album Review
08 Aug 2010 // A review by River
The album entitled 'Version One' starts off with the slow driven funk song You Got to Move. A good beginning indicating the bands secure grounding, in established musical structures.
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Cairo Knife Fight EP Review
07 Aug 2010 // A review by miss nz
Words by Amanda Ratcliffe What do Anika Moa, Weta and Fat Freddy’s Drop all have in common? Would you be surprised if I said rock?
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Die! Die! Die! - Form Album Review
07 Aug 2010 // A review by miss nz
Words by Amanda Ratcliffe The name {Die! Die!
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Riverblind - Hour of the Wolf Album Review
06 Aug 2010 // A review by River
Founded in jazz standards the first song Mute Signals works its way into slow blues melodies with sweet soaring vocals and guitars that pluck at your heartstrings to evaporate any bad mood that the winter weather might have you under. With the dynamic range of Jeff Buckley but retaining the kiwi accent there's a real bard like feel to Dave Kempton's vocal delivery.
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Mama Tilly - Silhouettes and Footsteps EP Review
22 Jul 2010 // A review by Dilemma
Track 1 – Screaming Smiley This track begins with a reminiscent 70’s surfer style guitar lick that carries through the song giving it a cool vibe. It fills out with powerful lyrics and raw vocals making the track very musician driven.
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Julia Deans - Modern Fables - Album Review
20 Jul 2010 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
It is all about Julia. Modern Fables is the solo album by noted singer/songwriter Julia Deans.
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Glass Owls - Dead Love EP review
16 Jul 2010 // A review by trevf
This six song debut CD represents an important stage in the three-year existence of the Glass Owls, as a first chance to commit to record some songs that have been well tried and tested in this Howick-based groups extensive gigging history. The opening song 'Griffin Boy' wears is influences too clearly on its sleeve with heavy nods towards Julian Casablanca’s vocal style and the instrumentation and feel of Franz Ferdinand.
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Oxboy - Ecstasy's Not Life EP Review
09 Jul 2010 // A review by River
There's certainly plenty of good sounds coming out of New Zealand at the moment and the 'Ecstasy's Not Life' seven track EP by Oxboy is no exception to the rule. Released by Hit Your Head Music and recorded over three days by Alec Withers (Devil's Elbow, Tempo 38, Angel Hammer, Servo) and mastered by Ian G.
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I Am Giant - City Limits/Neon Sunrise EP Review
05 Jul 2010 // A review by Bela
I already had a taste for the music of I Am Giant after seeing the promos on C4. This EP definitely lives up to all expectations I had.
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Fornax Chemica - Chemical Furnace Album Review
01 Jul 2010 // A review by River
Out of the atmospheric darkness erupts Fornax Chemica like a lava flow of burning brilliance. Deep aggressive rhythms and monumental musical structures carry you along on a tidal wave of diverse dynamics reminiscent of Alchemist, Isis or our very own Sora Shima.
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Bulletproof - Soundtrack To Forever album review
28 Jun 2010 // A review by JohnS
Every now and then I receive a album that brings out the underground junkie I used to be and with New Zealand having such a mainstream force it is hard not to get caught up in the latest charts. Luckily the third release form Bulletproof reminds me that underground dance music is heading into mainstream and having a stronger following every week.
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Eqwanox - Live at the Royal - Palmerston North 12/06/10
28 Jun 2010 // A review by JohnS
Another cold night out and about in the swamp and once again I’m heading out to the Royal. Many nights of my youth have been spent at this bar and the atmosphere has not changed a bit.
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Eqwanox @ The Royal, PN - 12 June 2010
28 Jun 2010 // A review by Shade
I had the absolute pleasure of being invited along to see Eqwanox perform live at The Royal in Palmerston North on 12 June 2010, and I was more than impressed with the Waikato boys tight and epic performance. Not only were their songs inspirational, with lyrics that many of us could relate to, but what I saw that night was so compelling and memorable, I find myself wanting to tell the world about them.
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Pistol Youth - My Own Private Amsterdam Album Review
14 Jun 2010 // A review by miss nz
Words by Amanda Ratcliffe Starting a new rock group while on tour with your current band isn’t something that you’d expect from a New Zealand outfit. But that’s exactly what Steriogram’s singer and guitarist, Bradley Hanan Carter decided to do back in 2007.
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Superturtle - About the Sun Album Review
13 Jun 2010 // A review by River
There's something very young about Superturtle's sound on the album About the Sun, although the band is comprised of seasoned professionals. Superturtle takes you on a cheerful journey of jangly guitars, lovely duets and clever soundscapes all conducive to having a good time.
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Mile High - #957 EP Review
08 Jun 2010 // A review by miss nz
Words by Amanda Ratcliffe These fun-loving rockers have only been around since 2008, but they have already made quite the name for themselves here in New Zealand. Although they’re quick to inform readers that they ‘have no affiliation to the infamous club nor do they frequent aeroplane bathrooms’, I doubt that it will be long before this band is first to ‘pop up’ under the google search, Mile High.
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The Usmani Collective - Searching EP Review
04 Jun 2010 // A review by River
The Usmani Collective - Searching The debut EP from the Usmani Collective starts with the self-titled track Searching with an intro of soft bluesy piano and bass guitar, melding into nice funky jazz styles; making me think I'm in for a treat. There's even some gospel influence in there.
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The Skitz - The Grove St Tapes EP Review
23 May 2010 // A review by Bela
I had never heard of The Managers before being given this album to review, and now that I've heard it all I can think is "why on earth not??!" These guys by rights should be all over the radio and C4.
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Outsiders - The Words Will Write Themselves Album Review
20 May 2010 // A review by River
'The Words Will Write Themselves' certainly starts with a bang! The first track 'The Other Half' has hit written all over it.
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Coast EP Review
16 May 2010 // A review by Dilemma
Whenever a great new band comes onto the scene there is usually someone with great taste in music has helped them get there. Mikee Tucker has had his hand in some of New Zealand’s best Reggae/Roots bands for example Fly My Pretties, The Black Seeds and TrinityRoots, so it comes as no surprise that New Zealand’s newest roots/reggae band Coast are signed with Loop.
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Joanne Chester - 'Where's The Time' EP Review
03 May 2010 // A review by BrendaF
This is a 5 track EP from Joanne Chester is solely grounded in the Blues/Jazz genre. While Joanne’s vocals lack the sultry power usually associated this genre and at times were just plain flat, the intention and emotion behind the lyrics is quite spectacular.
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OdESSA - 'Bring Me The Head Of Pepe Lopez' album review
25 Apr 2010 // A review by Daniel Boom
OdESSA have put out a record this year called Bring Me The Head Of Pepe Lopez. Not a bad effort at all.
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Knights of the DUB Table - Tronic EP Review
24 Apr 2010 // A review by miss nz
Words by Amanda Ratcliffe Local lads from one of Hamilton’s favorite bands, Knights of the DUB Table first started their journey at Wintec in 2007 whilst completing their Bachelor of Media Arts, Music Stream. Come 2008, the six-piece was complete and work had begun on bringing their unique sound to the people - all while sharing the common goal - “To honor and protect the late King Tubby’s way of life, and the way of the DUB (Dedication, Unity, Brotherhood)”.
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Puppeteer - Tucked In By Brutality album review
23 Apr 2010 // A review by River
Puppeteer 'Tucked in by Brutality' album review Preparing for a metal review: Black T-Shirt, check, sound system, check, beer, check. Puppeteer is a four piece metal band hailing from Auckland and Tauranga.
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Cybiont - Angels and Demons Album Review
18 Apr 2010 // A review by River
Cybiont 'Angels and Demons' CD Review The first thing to strike me about the 'Angels and Demons' CD by Cybiont is the fantastic colourful artwork and environmentally conscious packaging. Track One 'Take Me To The Moon' starts with a slow harmonic exploration into minimalism.
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Dead Fools Fiesta album review
16 Apr 2010 // A review by Dilemma
If Katchafire and Tex-Mex band Los Lonely Boys had a love child it would no doubt be a culturally diverse and inclusive hot mess. Dead Fools Fiesta could very well be that love child combining the best of NZ reggae with a Spanish feel.
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16 Apr 2010 // A review by Dilemma
If Katchafire and Tex-Mex band Los Lonely Boys had a love child it would no doubt be a culturally diverse and inclusive hot mess. Dead Fools Fiesta could very well be that love child combining the best of NZ reggae with a Spanish feel.
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Jdubs - 'The Keynotes' Album Review
14 Apr 2010 // A review by River
Jdubs - The Keynotes CD Review Jdubs is Ben James along with Charles Kickens, Pacific Heights and P-Money with Shapeshifter's Devin Abrams mixing and producing much of the content for the release on his Truetone record label brings you 'The Keynotes', a CD of quality Hip Hop featuring the vocal talents of MC Aeries, Sacha Vee and Lisa Tomlins. I like the packaging for this CD.
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Various Artists - Junktion 3 Compilation Album Review
09 Apr 2010 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
It is time to go underground. Get ready to slide down and enjoy some outstanding hip-hop and electronic sounds courtesy Palmerston North and who present Junction 3, the third free release ‘by the community for the community.
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09 Apr 2010 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
It is time to go underground. Get ready to slide down and enjoy some outstanding hip-hop and electronic sounds courtesy Palmerston North and who present Junction 3, the third free release ‘by the community for the community.
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Late 80s Mercedes - Juice Bar, Parnell - Tuesday 23 March.
08 Apr 2010 // A review by Dilemma
It’s not very often when a swing band comes your way, where all the songs have their own sound and uniqueness... not to mention having some big name musicians as part of their extensive fan base, including Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy and Nathan King ex.
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Farmer Pimp - 'Sweet Hot Pepper Pop' album Review
04 Apr 2010 // A review by BrendaF
When I saw the name Farmer Pimp, I had images of a prostitute sitting on a hay bale in red band gumboots and I expected the music to be the same – a bit of a mish mash of genres. I wasn’t far wrong but what I found is that it worked really well.
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Her Make Believe Band - 'A.M. Radio' album review
03 Apr 2010 // A review by trevf
Her Make Believe band can quote some pretty heavy press about their debut release, especially from their sort-of home base of England. Much is made of singer Cy Winstanley’s similarity to Paul Simon, and there are times when this is true-either in a beguiling and unaffected fashion (“Stay”), or in a perhaps more stylised, knowing way (Drummer Tom Greenhalgh’s Steve Gadd-esque intro to “Welcome Home”- 50 ways to drop a in a musical reference, perhaps?
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George and Queen - 'Teenagers and Grownups' album review
30 Mar 2010 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
It is a good day in music when a band decides to break the archaic stereotype that independent music can only be second-rate. George and Queen, with their self-made label ‘Gone Quiet Records,’ have broken the typecast that independent music is somehow inferior to mainstream music.
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The House Of Capricorn - 'Sign of the Cloven Hoof' album review
29 Mar 2010 // A review by CEOMong
As a Capricorn myself, I was intrigued by what the album had to offer. What I discovered was enchanting intros and beasty hooks; heavy, gothically bluesy, bootstomping, headbanging, good old-fashioned stoner metal.
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Dawn Of Azazel - A Massive Explosion of Sound
25 Mar 2010 // A review by River
Dawn of Azazel/Megadeth/Slayer 26/01/10 Miserable weather greeted fans as they lined up to enter Auckland's Logan Cambell Centre on Monday 5thOctober 2009. But the rain could not dampen the crowds highly charged enthusiasm for the event.
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Isis/Meshuggah @ San Francisco Bath House
25 Mar 2010 // A review by River
Isis/Meshuggah 3rd March 2010 The iconic venue now known as the San Francisco Bath House on Cuba Street in Wellington has seen some great acts of late but not many with such heightened anticipation as that held on the 3rd March 2010. Isis and Meshuggah, two very established but somewhat unknown bands to hit the New Zealand shores, were set to blow the roof off.
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25 Mar 2010 // A review by River
Isis/Meshuggah 3rd March 2010 The iconic venue now known as the San Francisco Bath House on Cuba Street in Wellington has seen some great acts of late but not many with such heightened anticipation as that held on the 3rd March 2010. Isis and Meshuggah, two very established but somewhat unknown bands to hit the New Zealand shores, were set to blow the roof off.
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Splore 2010
25 Mar 2010 // A review by River
Splore 2010 19th - 21st Feb. With just the right balance of good vibes, friendly faces and fantastic entertainment, Splore is a must attend festival suitable for the entire family.
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25 Mar 2010 // A review by River
Splore 2010 19th - 21st Feb. With just the right balance of good vibes, friendly faces and fantastic entertainment, Splore is a must attend festival suitable for the entire family.
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Aum - Happiness EP review
23 Mar 2010 // A review by JohnS
Hamilton electronic act AUM have just released a 6 track EP leading you into a journey of ambient conciseness, reminiscent of a relaxed Sunday morning sipping a coffee with six mates discussing what went wrong the previous night. Starting off with Sombre Dreams to introduce the Downbeat and Ambient sentiment, setting you up for the following four tracks.
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Knives At Noon - A Mothaflippin Party
22 Mar 2010 // A review by River
Bar Bodega 20/03/2010 The night was young, I had my glad rags on and Wellington looked ready to party. What better place to be than the stalwart of the music venue business; Bar Bodega now located on Ghuznee Street in central Wellington.
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Salon Kingsadore - 'Mountain Rescue' album review
16 Mar 2010 // A review by Bela
This latest album from Salon Kingsadore is without a doubt, a must have for music lovers. The quirky song titles intrigued me before I even began to listen.
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The Twitch - 'Time For Change' album review
16 Mar 2010 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
There is a new bunch of outlaws in town and they call themselves The Twitch. The gang of three present their latest album Time For Change and they are here to cement their name in the music industry.
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Just One Fix - 'Blood Horizon' album review
11 Mar 2010 // A review by CEOMong
It’s been what feels like a decade (in reality only a little more than 2 years) since their last offering (The Price Of $ellvation), and let me tell you it’s well worth the wait. JOF sound more mature, polished and evolved, making this a beautifully put together album.
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Devils Elbow - 'KO' EP review
10 Mar 2010 // A review by trevf
KO (EP)The name Devil’s Elbow might not ring many recognition bells-yet- but this two-piece have some solid pro history and have brought some big guns to assist on this their first release, a three track EP.Looking for descriptions of their sound on the web is fun, the best being Facebooks ‘Shitkicker/ Country / Punk / Rock’ line.
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Jackie Bristow - 'Freedom' album review
09 Mar 2010 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
As the rope swing dances carelessly with the wind above the lake, Jackie Bristow whispers sweet nothings in your ears. This is freedom.
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River - 'Shadows' album review
26 Feb 2010 // A review by CEOMong
I feel bad writing so little about such an awesome album, it’s really well put together, generously heavy, liberal and enthusiastic drumming, and chock full of wicked deep growlie vox. This is a sweet and beasty metal album.
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Green Like Go - self titled EP review
23 Feb 2010 // A review by Bela
Before you even hear the music, the EP for Green Like Go visually stands out. The recycled cardboard sleeve is distinctive, and the cover art is quirky.
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'Dutchies'- Shapeshifter Single Review
21 Feb 2010 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Being most incredible song that you will have heard in a long time, ‘Dutchies’ is the answer to all of your musical prayers. Shapeshifter have brought out a new single from their latest album The System is a Vampire which contains all of their finesse and artistry.
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The Phoenix Foundation - Merry Kriskmass EP Review
15 Feb 2010 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Christmas, thank goodness it is over. This is not to say that the sentiment is unappreciated.
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Pig Out - Rave X album review
07 Feb 2010 // A review by miss nz
Since forming in 2006, Christchurch’s very own, Pig Out have performed a number of shows all around the world. Sydney, LA, New York…they’ve done it all.
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Departure Lounge - 'In Session' - Album Review
28 Jan 2010 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Seldom does a musician truly let their audience come across them up close and personal. Even rarer is a band that can capture the intimacy of their raw sound onto an album.
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Sons of Apollo - Album Review - The Landing
24 Jan 2010 // A review by miss nz
2008 saw the final bits of the puzzle come together to create Hamilton based rock group, Sons of Apollo. The search to form such a band began earlier in the decade when Belgian born, Bart Brichau moved to New Zealand to pursue a life long dream - which was to write and record his debut album.
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CD Review – The Body Lyre – December Marches
21 Jan 2010 // A review by CEOMong
The CD comes beautifully packaged in what, at first glance, looks like a book of poetry, an illusion shattered (or perhaps enhanced) by the randomness of a burnt CD in a Croxley envelope. Out of it.
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Album Review: Nadine Loren – Living in Wonderland
12 Jan 2010 // A review by BrendaF
Nadine Loren is an up and coming singer/songwriter with an unusual yet effective style. Living in Wonderland has been nominated for “Best Pop Album of the Year” by the LA Music Awards in 2009 and I can see why.
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Album Review - Aum - Aletheia
09 Jan 2010 // A review by miss nz
Words by Amanda Ratcliffe Popular up and coming producers, Jeremy Graham and Daryl Turner have been involved with the local music scene for the past few years now, gaining quite the following along the way. Originally starting out playing the guitar and bass in a band together, after a year, the pair went on to create Hamilton’s most intriguing electronic act, Aum.
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Strike - Sketches
23 Dec 2009 // A review by JohnS
Something a bit unusual from my normal tastes but the second album entitled Sketches from Strike proved worthy of being added to my collection. Strike currently have 7 members but have also performed as a duo, trio and a quartet.
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Fly My Pretties 'A Story' Encore, Michael Fowler Centre Wellington 5/12/09
15 Dec 2009 // A review by Bela
If there was ever a show to go to, Fly My Pretties “A Story” is the one for me. It started off a bit slowly, the show was running late so despite being promoted as doors opening at 7.
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ROY G and the BIVinators - The Rainbow Throw (2009)
13 Dec 2009 // A review by Daniel Boom
ROY G & the BIVinators(2009) The Rainbow Throw If I stopped by at your place for a coffee and some of your weekly home baking, which I must do soon, and this CD was playing in the background, I wouldn’t say “Hey, you can turn that off while I’m here” or anything, I’d be fine with it. But I’ve found that sitting down to this album and trying to remain attentive, well it’s like a form of labour (the reason for that being that overall the songs are just too lightweight and too fruity).
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EP Review – Ethanol 58 (Self-Titled)
06 Dec 2009 // A review by CEOMong
EP Review – Ethanol 58 (Self-Titled) A mellow debut 4-track EP, well played and cleanly mastered for the most part. Hints of greatness throughout, engaging vox, groovy steady riffs, chewy heavy rhythms & nice little hooks.
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Urbantramper - Urban Tramper - 'Rise & Ride Toward' album review
05 Dec 2009 // A review by lukefitzmaurice
Ok, I’ll admit, before I listened to this album, I had never really heard of Urban Tramper. Their name rang vague bells in the back of my mind, perhaps I’d heard snippets on the radio or seen a poster in the street somewhere, but if you’d played me one of their older songs I probably wouldn’t have recognised it.
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Diesel Phoenix - 'Here's Something We Prepared Earlier' album review
05 Dec 2009 // A review by lukefitzmaurice
'Here’s Something We Prepared Earlier' is the new album from Auckland five-piece Diesel Phoenix, a hard hitting record which throws together rock, punk, pop, and even a little bit of metal. The album opens with the eerie instrumental track 'Willard’s Run', a song which provides a haunting introduction to the rest of the album.
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Cern - 'Manaia' EP Review
30 Nov 2009 // A review by JohnS
Feeling the bass flow out of my mp3 player is something I love, It’s like my own brand of narcotic flowing though my soul, awaking me and CERN’s new EP 'Manaia' does just that. Drum and Bass fanatics will already know what to expect from a internationally talented DJ.
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Royala: Debut Solo Album Review
15 Nov 2009 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
‘Don’t Mind Me’ by Royala is a debut solo album that needed to be made. Through this album it is evident that this stunning songstress has been aching to create this ten-track portfolio of the works she, Daniel Harawira and Carl Newman have created together.
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Kabanaz - 'Something New, Something Old, Something Better' album review
22 Oct 2009 // A review by CEOMong
A bluesy, Electric 6, Head Automatica, Kings of Leon feel overall, in a truly Kiwi (and therefore better) way. Mostly gravelly, always widely ranging and engaging vox, married up with delicate, dependable and deliberate gax and beasty bluesy bass.
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TREi - 'Innuendo' album Review
22 Oct 2009 // A review by JohnS
Drum 'n' Bass, There is the good and then there is the bloody awful. Lucky for all your Peeps, The new album from TREi is banging!
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Sons of Zion album review
18 Oct 2009 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
According to a calendar it is not Summer. If you follow the weather then it absolutely does not feel like Summer.
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The Dylan Storey Band - Out Of The Soup album review
17 Oct 2009 // A review by trevf
Dylan Storey Out Of The Soup This is the third CD Mr Storey has released since 2005, and reveals a man on a fascinating journey-in that he is a capable instrumentalist (with a players’ need to play) and someone who invests time and thought into his lyrical content. Add to that a somewhat idiosyncratic vocal style, and you have a very interesting “sum of the parts” indeed.
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The Upbeats- 'Big Skeleton' album review
03 Oct 2009 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
It’s a little sinister, a little mischievous, but a lot of bass. That is what The Upbeats’ present to listeners in their third studio album, Big Skeleton.
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Album Review: Down Falls An Empire - These Four Walls
29 Sep 2009 // A review by BrendaF
I can’t believe that this time last year, I was doing a review on These Fall Walls two single EP and now, finally, their debut album has been released. It has been a long time coming since their first single 'Walk Away' debuted in May 2007.
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Album Review: Electric Wire Hustle
29 Sep 2009 // A review by BrendaF
I wasn’t too sure what to make of this self-titled album when I was asked to review it, I mean, how can you infuse hip hop with psychedelic and jazz but that is exactly what Electric Wire Hustle have managed to do – successfully. This is their debut album and the Wellington trio certainly challenges your musical boundaries.
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The Zoup - 'The Zoup' EP review
24 Sep 2009 // A review by JohnS
Auckland four piece The Zoup have been together for just over a year now and have released their debut self titled EP. Originally calling themselves Moloko Vellocet, they changed to The Zoup without even a year being passed.
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Gig Review – 20th Sep 09 (Cobra Khan, Black Chrome, Lord of Tigers, Ricky Bobby)
21 Sep 2009 // A review by CEOMong
Kicking off at 2pm, on a beautifully sunshiny Sunday afternoon, was the almighty Ricky Bobby. A tight 5-some, obviously having a good time and bashing out some damned good metal to the eager masses, a great way to get things going.
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EP Review – Interconnector (Self-Titled)
19 Sep 2009 // A review by CEOMong
Interconnectors’ self-titled, 6-track, self-titled EP, is chock-full of wicked air guitar moments, groovy tweaky choruses, and mellow chewy rhythmic bits all melted together with genuine beasty and grungy rock ‘n f’n roll. A staunch album; it will be staying in my playlist rotation for a long long time to come.
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Gig Review - The Naked And Famous and F In Math at Flow
15 Sep 2009 // A review by miss nz
Words by Amanda Ratcliffe They’ve got a couple of new members, and a bunch of new tunes – who are they? The Naked And Famous of course!
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Isaac Aesili - Eye See album review
13 Sep 2009 // A review by trevf
Isaac Aesili Eye See This is the debut album from an experienced and educated musician with an impressive CV already, having appeared as a trumpet player and co-writer on a number of significant local releases over the last few years. His stated intent with this CD is “to offer today’s youth a counter voice to the glorification and idealisation of gangster culture, so often promoted by commercial R’n’B” It’s a CD big on intent, then, and (at sixteen tracks long), big on scope too.
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Minuit - Find Me Before I Die A Lonely Death.Com album review
12 Sep 2009 // A review by miss nz
Words by Amanda Ratcliffe If you haven’t heard of them by now, I’d like to ask you politely where the hell you’ve been for the past ten years? Kiwi electronic pop band, Minuit have released an outstanding five EP’s along with three albums in this time, and have been touring the world with their energetic dance tunes.
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'Something Awesome'- David Dallas album Review
12 Sep 2009 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
This is a debut that was worth the wait. David Dallas must be familiar to any New Zealand music listener.
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Tahuna Breaks - Album Review - Black Brown & White
05 Sep 2009 // A review by miss nz
It’s a freezing spring morning in the city of the future, but as I sit here listening to Black Brown & White, I can feel the first hints of summer shining through. Wrapping its arms around me lovingly with fresh funky beats from one of New Zealand’s most loved and talked about acts, Tahuna Breaks.
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Eru Dangerspiel - Great News For The Modern Man album review
21 Aug 2009 // A review by lukefitzmaurice
With any experiment, there are always going to be some things that work out great, and others that don’t really go down so well. Therefore, with any experimental album, the same is bound to happen.
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Album Review: Gimar – 'On My Own Buzz'
11 Aug 2009 // A review by BrendaF
What a fantastic example of one of New Zealand’s up and coming hip-hop artists. While my strengths lie in other genres, I do quite like rap/hip hop if it is well presented with lyrics that are true to one’s self.
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Dimmer - 'Degrees Of Existence' album review
08 Aug 2009 // A review by miss nz
Originally created by Straightjacket Fits’ songwriter Shayne Carter, the Dimmer crew have made quite the name for themselves since forming in 1994. In their fifteen years of being they’ve released an outstanding collection of successful albums which has undoubtedly put the band up there with the likes of well respected kiwi icons, Shihad.
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Rebel Peasant - 'The Walls Of The Well' (2009)
08 Aug 2009 // A review by Daniel Boom
Hi! I'm listening to "The Walls Of The Well" by Rebel Peasant.
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"A little piece of memory..." - Opensouls album review, 'Standing in the Rain'
08 Aug 2009 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
They just do not write songs like they used to. Today live performances are judged on the laser-light extravaganza put on display rather than the raw sound and artistry of the musicians.
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Salmonella Dub – Freak Local EP Review.
03 Aug 2009 // A review by JohnS
When asked if I would review the new Salmonella Dub album I was a little uneasy as we are all asking, will they still be the same or have they moved on to bigger and better things, would the disappearance of Tiki be noticeable or have they filled the void that is expected to be left. Well my friends I can honestly say they have done a great job with this EP keeping to their roots.
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Minuit – Find Me Before I Die A Lonely Death Dot Com album review.
03 Aug 2009 // A review by JohnS
I have been eagerly awaiting 'Find Me Before I Die A Lonely Death Dot Com' the new album from Minuit, by wearing thin my copy of their 2003 album 'The 88' it won’t be long until this album turns out to get the same overuse. Minuit have always caught my attention with the unique sound from vocalist Ruth Carr bleeding out from my speakers.
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Cairo Knife Fight - Iron album review
01 Aug 2009 // A review by lukefitzmaurice
When I first listened to this album I immediately got the impression of movement. The first track definitely felt like it was driving towards… well… something, I wasn’t quite sure what at that stage.
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Good Laika - Followed by a Trail of Sparks review
30 Jul 2009 // A review by lukefitzmaurice
The press release that came with this album read, “When listening to Good Laika’s sophomore album Followed by a Trail of Sparks, you could be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled across some lost soul’s travel diary.” It was an interesting introduction to an album, so I sat with eager anticipation as I played it through for the first time.
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Jamie Strange - 'Thanks For Faking It Sometimes' album review
29 Jul 2009 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Fake; it is the four-letter word begging with ‘F” that no one dares to say. But today is the era of imitation.
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Tiki Taane - The Future Is 'Flux'- Tiki album Review
20 Jul 2009 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
The future is Flux. Tiki Taane released his solo effort Past Present Future in 2007 and received critical praise and popular acclaim for this album.
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Gig Review - Autozamm - The Meteor Theatre
06 Jul 2009 // A review by miss nz
The Fuel Festival in Hamilton seems to get bigger and brighter every year, and this time round its played host to some of New Zealand’s most popular acts such as Minuit and Little Bushman, along with Saturday night favourites - Midnight Youth and Autozamm. Being an all ages gig, there were kids a plenty, all out to see their beloved hotties on stage with the obvious hope to impress the musicians so much that they might choose to ‘hang’ with them after the show.
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Gig Review - Midnight Youth - The Meteor Theatre
06 Jul 2009 // A review by miss nz
The Fuel Festival in Hamilton seems to get bigger and brighter every year, and this time round its played host to some of New Zealand’s most popular acts such as Minuit and Little Bushman, along with Saturday night favourites - Midnight Youth and Autozamm. Being an all ages gig, there were kids a plenty, all out to see their beloved hotties on stage with the obvious hope to impress the musicians so much that they might choose to ‘hang’ with them after the show.
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Mercury Crowe - Set Your Mind To Fly album review
22 Jun 2009 // A review by BrendaF
When I was given this album, I was informed that it was a rock album so that’s what I expected. But Mercury Crowe is so much more than just rock.
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Hangman - EP Review - Black Rock White Funk!
14 Jun 2009 // A review by miss nz
While we’ve all been listening to their 2008 release - Trade Goods, the Hangman lads have been hard at work creating their latest EP, Black Rock White Funk! This time round, they’ve recorded and mixed it themselves to provide listeners with a feel for what the band sounds like live.
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Cybiont - Album Review - A Trilogy Of Random Thoughts & Considerations
13 Jun 2009 // A review by miss nz
Prepare to be taken on a spiritual journey with the debut album from Cybiont, named ‘A Trilogy Of Random Thoughts & Considerations’. It’s a unique collection filled with just that - bursting at the seams with imagination, and an obvious love for life and all its experiences.
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The Checks - 'Alice By The Moon' album review
11 Jun 2009 // A review by trevf
The Checks Alice By The Moon. The Checks have traversed a ridiculously parabolic success curve, finding their stride musically when still at school and moving from strength to strength.
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Fat Freddy's Drop - Dr Boondigga and the Big BW
11 Jun 2009 // A review by lukefitzmaurice
I fell in love with this album about five and a half minutes into track six. Up until that point I was reasonably impressed with the album, but I felt like Fat Freddy’s Drop hadn’t quite captured the vibe that made their first album so immensely successful.
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Mercury Crowe - Set Your Mind To Fly Album Review
08 Jun 2009 // A review by Shade
Mercury Crowe are a straight-ahead rock band. They are straight ahead, though, not in that their songs lack inventiveness or freshness, but in the sense that they clearly just want to write good tunes.
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CD Review – Set On End – Means to an End
08 Jun 2009 // A review by CEOMong
An evocatively presented CD, deliciously rich yet understated; a dark reflection of the ills of society. 5 “real” tracks, plus one eerie intro piece that sets the mood quite nicely.
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Antiform – 'City in Exile' album review
03 Jun 2009 // A review by JohnS
A long awaited and a very hotly anticipated debut album release from Antiform has just hit the stores. The Auckland three piece consisting of brothers Josh and Luke Purcell with Brandon Spain have created this bass-drive ride for the mind.
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Midnight Youth - Album Review - The Brave Don't Run
24 May 2009 // A review by miss nz
Naming their debut album The Brave Don’t Run, it’s obvious that the lads of popular kiwi act, Midnight Youth mean business. Having already been chosen to open concerts for the likes of international bands INXS, OK Go and Incubus, they’re clearly not afraid to let their talents shine which has seen them shoot to nationwide stardom over the past year.
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Album Review: Simon Spire – All or Nothing
21 May 2009 // A review by BrendaF
Simon Spire’s debut album is an evocative album filled with different genres that seem to fit really well together. The album starts with tracks ‘Inside Out’ and ‘More or Less’ which both have a rock n roll bass line which firstly I found quite off-putting as they just jump straight out at you but after listening to the album several times, I actually quite liked that about them.
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Pitch Black - 'Rhythm, Sound And Movement' album review.
14 May 2009 // A review by JohnS
I have been desperately short of some walking tunes for some time and the new Pitch black album has filled that void nicely. Having released 'Rhythm, Sound And Movement', which is a artful collection of remixes of tracks from their 'Rude Mechanicals' album.
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The Veils - Sun Gangs Reviews
07 May 2009 // A review by lukefitzmaurice
A word of warning – on the whole, Sun Gangs seems pretty slow. And to be fair, it’s true that the album contains one or two tracks that are indisputably subdued, title track Sun Gangs being one that immediately springs to mind.
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Motocade - Tightrope Highway
07 May 2009 // A review by miss nz
Motocade – Tightrope Highway Written by Amanda Ratcliffe 2005 saw the formation of four piece indie-rock act Motocade who have developed their unique sound over the years to bring us their solid debut album, Tightrope Highway. They’ve built themselves up from touring our country and have seen success from the releases of two immaculate EP’s – the first being self-titled Motocade, which threw them into the spotlight over the entire year of 2006.
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The Pleasures Of June - Perfect Strangers review
05 May 2009 // A review by trevf
The Pleasures Of June Perfect Strangers The Pleasures of June present a somewhat enigmatic front, with very little that a casual (or even less casual) Google reveals, and no press release to accompany this release. Perhaps this duo of multi-instrumentalists would just rather we “ judge on the music”.
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Album review: The Orchid Door – Selon Recliner
04 May 2009 // A review by BrendaF
The Orchid Door is the follow up album to the successful debut album Rest Room that was released in 2006 by then, Recliner. This album is described as dark, moody pop and I would have to agree.
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29 Blackbirds - EP: 2AM (2009)
25 Apr 2009 // A review by Daniel Boom
I've been commissioned (asked) to review the EP 2AM by the group 29 Blackbirds. Not only do 29 Blackbirds bake pies, with pockets full of rye - they sing songs of sixpence too.
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The Datsuns - Sittin’ Pretty In The Tron
19 Apr 2009 // A review by miss nz
The last time I saw The Datsuns play in the Tron was when they tore it up at The Yellow Submarine in mid 2008, drawing in one of the most energetic and dare I say, messy crowds I’d ever seen down there. We’re talking arms and legs batting others over the head, crowd surfing, yelling and a whole lot of jumping up and down, making it one of my most memorable gigs to date.
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Evermore - Album: Truth Of The World (2009)
17 Apr 2009 // A review by Daniel Boom
"Truth Of The World" I'll start by mentioning three of the stronger songs on the album "Everybody's Doing It" "Tonight On The Show" and "Hey Boys And Girls". They're concise and have strong melodies.
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Album Review: An Emerald City – Circa Scaria
16 Apr 2009 // A review by BrendaF
This is An Emerald City’s debut album, however they did release a 4 track EP in April 2008. Circa Scaria was recorded in a cave (how cool is that!
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Sola Rosa - Get It Together review
11 Apr 2009 // A review by lukefitzmaurice
There is something irresistibly funky about this album, and it hits you within seconds of pressing play. The opening track, The Ace of Space, has a kind of Ocean’s Eleven quality to it, and as I listened to the rest of the album I never really shook the feeling of being engrossed within a Las Vegas casino heist.
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The Mint Chicks - Screens Review
31 Mar 2009 // A review by lukefitzmaurice
First things first, DO NOT judge this album the first time you listen to it. That’s what I was tempted to do, because in all honesty, after listening to Screens once through I was a little disappointed.
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DateMonthYear - 7Ghosts review from Nexus
29 Mar 2009 // A review by trevf
by JoeCitizen on Sunday 21 May 2006 It took me a while for this album to grow on me, sminly because on first listening it sounded similar to their 'Sampler' album - so much so that I had to go back to 'Sampler' to check. Its quite a lot different, if only because the production values are higher - although there are still some places in '7Ghosts' that seem quite familiar.
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Rare Shot Blue - Album: Where I Was Born (2009)
29 Mar 2009 // A review by Daniel Boom
I'm not a huge listener to Electronica or Dance music. So when I was asked to review the album Where I Was Born by Rare Shot Blue I said “of course I will.
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The Volunteers - Album Review - Friends Family & Fools
28 Mar 2009 // A review by miss nz
This soul inspired Wellington act first came to life in mid 2005 when vocalist Elan Mills decided it was high time he put his days of self indulgence behind him. To begin a journey filled with funky rock n’ roll music that goes by the name, The Volunteers.
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DateMonthYear - Album Review - Pot/Kettle/Black
17 Mar 2009 // A review by miss nz
To be honest, I’d be pretty surprised if you told me you hadn’t heard the name DateMonthYear getting thrown around at some stage seeing as they’ve been around since 2003. But for those of you who haven’t, let me tell you a little something about the group.
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Clap Clap Riot - TV Knows Better Review
16 Mar 2009 // A review by trevf
Clap Clap Riot TV Knows Better A quick Google makes for a very positive first impression of this four piece from Christchurch, who has obviously made some big inroads over the last ytear or so. This 5 Song CD is their debut recording, and as such is a powerful statement of intent.
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Album Review: Complicated Characters - Miscreant
16 Mar 2009 // A review by BrendaF
I could hardly believe my luck when I was handed this album to review having heard the single ‘Fight For Me’ on the radio and becoming an instant fan. This album is described as a rock album but don’t be fooled, songs like ‘Hey Mister’ and ‘Rhythm Child’ have a very blues/jazz style to them while songs ‘Still Frame’ and ‘Hard Act To Follow’ have a more ballad/slow rock bottom line.
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Ragamuffin Children - Album: The Seahorse Emporium (2009)
15 Mar 2009 // A review by Daniel Boom
I've been listening to the album The Seahorse Emporium by Ragamuffin Children. It's actually the first album I've ever heard.
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EP Review – Subtract – Winning Hearts & Minds
06 Mar 2009 // A review by CEOMong
Shiny yet dirty, like unpolished chrome – a clean sound but with a blunt, dirty, bloody edge. Impressive show by all members, an excellently produced piece of work, balancing all instruments nicely.
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Needles and Bees - A Quilt of Conversation
22 Feb 2009 // A review by lukefitzmaurice
The words “hidden gem” do not even come close to describing A Quilt of Conversation, the debut EP from Needles & Bees. How this band seems to have slipped under the radar of so many kiwi music fans, myself included, is rather astounding, as the music they are producing is a pleasure to listen to.
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Spartacus R - When The Fever Takes Hold - Debut Release
15 Feb 2009 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
The locally anticipated debut release from Wellingtons own Spartacus R is finally here. After becoming regionally acclaimed over the past six years their debut full-length album “When The Fever Takes Hold” is looking to rouse devotees and new listeners alike.
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EP Review: Every Man For Himself – Te Pae Mahutonga The Southern Cross
02 Feb 2009 // A review by BrendaF
The Auckland quintet has been around since 2003 (in various forms and under different names) and this is their third EP release. This is disc 1 in a two disc series, the second set to be released mid-2009.
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The Datsuns - Headstunts Review
30 Jan 2009 // A review by lukefitzmaurice
The Datsuns always seemed like a high school band to me. True, originally they were, but to me they were always reminiscent of a group of kids desperately trying to prove themselves as professionals.
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EP Review - Sora Shima - Destroy Electronica
28 Jan 2009 // A review by CEOMong
When my editor proffered the newest CD for review, judging from the (very cool) case and liner I expected metal, or perhaps drum and bass, instead what I found was an eclectic mix of alternative rock indie electronica instrumentals. I’m not disappointed, although it did strike me as odd that there are no vocals whatsoever, and the complete divergence from the norm.
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Decortica – A New Aesthetic
26 Jan 2009 // A review by JohnS
The first time I listened to Decortica’s album, it was very different from what I have ever heard before, it reminded me of an alternative album from the early 90's, when artists were trying to recreate the 1970's classic rock sound. This album unfortunately failed to impress me.
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EP Review: Lydia Cole – Love Will Find A Way
19 Jan 2009 // A review by BrendaF
I haven’t heard of Lydia Cole before listening to this EP so I wasn’t sure quite what to except. Lydia is relatively new to the music scene, however this is her second EP release.
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CD Review – Slave Cadaver – Slave Girls From Beyond Infinity
23 Dec 2008 // A review by CEOMong
An epic album with amusing soundbytes scattered throughout for a bit of a laugh. Very horror/death metal, growly and thrashy at times, slower tempo and more melodic in other parts.
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Antagonist A.D. - We Are The Dead
19 Dec 2008 // A review by CEOMong
Ever since hearing some of their earlier stuff (from the Distance EP) and seeing them go off at BDO ‘08 I’d been hanging out to hear some more – a wish finally realised with this awesome offering of headbangin goodness. Listen to it loud, and on repeat.
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CD Review – Cobra Khan – Helgorithms
14 Dec 2008 // A review by CEOMong
If there is one album you get this summer (or ever), make it this one. Tell your friends.
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Eqwanox - All Roads Lead From Here Album Review
09 Dec 2008 // A review by JohnS
I must admit, I had heard of Eqwanox before having the opportunity to listen to there CD. Myspace is a wonderful tool for bands to promote their music to the world and Eqwanox have taken full advantage of this.
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The Sunday Star Times Review: McBride Uncut
08 Nov 2008 // A review by Kraven
Published in The Sunday Star Times on Sunday 26th October 2008. Article written by Adrian Wright.
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CD Review – Tainted – Carved and Created
22 Oct 2008 // A review by CEOMong
Solid, constantly surprising speed metal, some amazing talents at work here. Never a dull moment, there’s always something tweaky and epic going on, more often than not eliciting an awestruck admiring grin and headbang.
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Tempo 38 - EP Review - Septic Proof
09 Oct 2008 // A review by CEOMong
A well-balanced EP full of tight refrains and solid measured riffs, a staunch album chock-full of punk flavour. I was sold on the first track, each track further cementing the awesomeness.
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Elemeno P – Elemeno P
16 Sep 2008 // A review by JohnS
The long awaited self-titled third album from New Zealand’s own Elemeno P has not disappointed one bit. From the Debut release of Baby come on which has been used for a very clever Telecom add showing Friday night drinks, to the third single Better Days with the video set at the bowling club in Grey Lynn they have made me proud to be a supporter of Kiwi music.
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The Symphony of Screams – 'Heed To The Voices'
16 Sep 2008 // A review by JohnS
The Symphony of Screams, What a choice name for a band and with the eye catching graphic artwork to support the name. When I first laid my eyes on to it I immediately flashed back to my teen years listing to death/trash metal, but with a unique “Blues Metal/Rock” which at first listen did not really appeal to me but the album has grown on me.
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EP Review - The Fea Street Hustle
23 Aug 2008 // A review by BrendaF
I was concerned when I received this 5 track EP as my only previous experience in country music was being dragged along to the Topp Twins by my Mum when I was younger. However, I discovered I’m a closet country fan.
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El Schlong - 'The Baddies Are Coming'
10 Aug 2008 // A review by Shade
REVIEW BY DOUG MOORE www.metalreview.
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Nort - The Age Of Violence
08 Aug 2008 // A review by CEOMong
A fantastically unique and different sounding album, so many elements that cant easily be traced back to another band’s sound – all at the same time without sounding like pompous try-hards. Love it.
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Goodnight Nurse – I Want It Tour May 2008
05 Aug 2008 // A review by JohnS
Line up The Rabble Streetwise Scarlet Goodnight Nurse What a way to spend Friday the 13, doors open at 9 but first band on at 10.20.
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Just One Fix - Album Review - The Price of $ellvation
01 Aug 2008 // A review by CEOMong
A very metal album, well-tuned and classic. Ample opportunity to get songs stuck in your head (and everywhere else) – and have a bit of a laugh too!
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Cripple Mr Onion - Album Review - AntiGravity
01 Aug 2008 // A review by CEOMong
I fell in love with the Cripple at the turn of the century, for the better part of a decade now I’ve been waiting for some new Onion, and mayen, does it taste good. Old-school industrial electro thrash metal feel.
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Bulletproof - Dark Times Desperate Measures
14 Jul 2008 // A review by spiderade
'Dark Times - Desperate Measures' by Bulletproof is a very strong album. It features a lot of heavy beats, and the album has a good flow to it that I really enjoyed.
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dDub 'Medicine Man' album review
01 Jul 2008 // A review by spiderade
This highly polished album was a big change from what I am normally used to and I found it very refreshing. The album as a whole had a very polished sound and had a very even flow.
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El Schlong – The Baddies Are Coming
25 Jun 2008 // A review by CEOMong
8 fairly long tracks comprise this really rather fine album, laden with toughness, for the most part lighter on the vocals than many other metallers out there. Huge sound from this Wellington-based Dunedin-raised 3 piece, cranking out some tidy and oft delicate tunes.
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Anna Coddington – The Lake
19 Jun 2008 // A review by JohnS
Anna Coddington's debut album, The Lake, was quite a surprise when I received it. With many people comparing her to Bic Runga and Anika Moa I was not disappointed that Anna added her own flavour and style for a uniquely outstanding album.
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Samuel Flynn Scott - Straight Answer Machine
28 May 2008 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
Stepping away from electronic Americana and heading towards tropical folk, ‘Straight Answer Machine’ is Samuel Flynn Scotts’ second solo performance that supports his song writing potential. ‘Straight Answer Machine’ leads us on a mystical journey through his ideological landscapes and on through good hard times.
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Redline – Trapped Inside
26 May 2008 // A review by JohnS
When I received Redline's debut album I was expecting another NZ rock group, which could not make it past the pop genre, boy was I wrong.With tight guitar rhythms though the verses and base work and drum beats linking together like it was the band’s third or forth album.
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CD Review - Shihad – Beautiful Machine
25 May 2008 // A review by CEOMong
Shihad’s newest album ‘Beautiful Machine’, released in the same month they celebrate their 20th anniversary, is an immense album packed with longish songs (around 4 mins average) radio-friendly but rocky all at the same time, electric and hooky the whole way through. I’d read many reviews of this CD and was braced for “a couple old, couple new sounds, couple metal, couple radio” etc – I must say I am both surprised and fully glad that’s not what I got.
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An Emerald City - Debut, Self Titled E.P.
15 Apr 2008 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
An Emerald City showcases mastery musicianship with a seamless blend of traditional instruments, spawning an easy listening, instrumental collaboration of styles in this self titled, debut extended play. Commencing the four track E.
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Recloose- Perfect Timing
14 Apr 2008 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
Recloose has been busy and after such previous success, the now internationally exalted producer and DJ has brought a new touch to living room and club dance with ‘Perfect Timing’, taking a few pages out of the eighties in the process. Starting the album with Rachel Frasier and the mellow sophistication of ‘Catch A Leaf’ is the perfect way to precede the dismal post eighties revival that is ‘Robop’.
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Crash Test For Favourite Things - We all want to be just like you.
31 Mar 2008 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
We all want to be just like you- Crash Test For Favourite Things The general aesthetic of Crash Test for Favourite Things has matured since their debut, self titled album, and the cover art captures some of the imagery that is apparent in the music wonderfully. It speaks innocence and injustice.
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Lawrence Arabia: Live Gig @ Happy 08 Feb 2008
13 Feb 2008 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
Thursday night at Happy was packed, and for good reason. For ‘it’ man Liam Finn was due to support Lawrence Arabia, who threw two nights of fun filled music with all his friends.
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Lauren Thomson Reviews
06 Feb 2008 // A review by Shade
"True story: I received this five-song EP before Christmas, played it a bit then put on the "get to" pile -which meant it was ignored in the Christmas shuffle. The other day I pulled it out to enjoy again and post this week when an e-mail arrived from this Auckland singer-songwriter asking (politely) if I might be interested in writing about it.
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The Phoenix Foundation - Happy Ending
20 Dec 2007 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
After such success from ‘Pegasus’ it was exciting to hear what direction The Phoenix Foundation had taken with their new album- 'Happy Ending'. I like the album and its casual holiday appeal, with up beat happy tunes like ‘Bright Grey’ and ‘Bleaching Sun’, but opening singles aside; the album showcases all of the song writing talent that is The Phoenix Foundation.
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The Phoenix Foundation - Wellington Opera House 17/11/2007
19 Nov 2007 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
On Saturday night The Phoenix Foundation played at the Opera House in Wellington as part of their Happy Ending tour. Because of the recent success from their newly released album ‘Happy Ending’ I was excepting another great show from the Wellington lads who seldom disappoint.
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Strangers - Weight reveiw
04 Nov 2007 // A review by trevf
“Weight” By Strangers Review by trevf Track List 1.Expositions 2.
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CD Review - Chuganaut - 11:11 ONE
01 Nov 2007 // A review by CEOMong
Track 1 – Humain (4.32) Mellow start warm-up action, rolls into a bit of hard axe and stomping bass.
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Gig Review – Chuganaut – 26th October @ Bar Mode, Swamp Central (Palmie Nth)
01 Nov 2007 // A review by CEOMong
I was greatly privileged to meet Steve and the band before the gig, consumed a few Johnnie’s, and had some good yarns. I was amazed and I must say humbled by these very awesome, down-to-earth & genuine rockers.
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Antagonist A.D - Distance EP Review
30 Oct 2007 // A review by CEOMong
Tracklist: 1. These Cities, Our Graves (Vocal Remix) 2.
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Gig Review - Hellborne - Bar Mode, Palmerston North, 6 October 07
16 Oct 2007 // A review by CEOMong
Another fine performance from Pastor Sin and the guys – Hellborne never fail to amaze me, and this gig was certainly no exception. Rage and power were radiated in an intense set that blew both my and Wifey’s minds.
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Gig Review - Black Chrome - Bar Mode, Palmerston North, 6 October 07
16 Oct 2007 // A review by CEOMong
BC cranked out their trademark rock 'n roll to a disappointingly small crowd full of centurions at Bar Mode in Palmy, cranking Swamp Town Blues & Charlie Blow as warm-ups. They then unleashed into a solid set chock-full of classics, and even treated us to a new song; nice intro and some hot breaks, a little slow but a strong and hard vocal performance from Wolfgang makes this new song already one of their best.
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Gig Review - Cage Demise - Bar Mode, Palmerston North, 6 October 07
16 Oct 2007 // A review by CEOMong
Delayed for an hour due to a completely underwhelming crowd, Cage Demise stormed the stage and our eardrums in an explosive set filled with well-rehearsed riffs and backed up with some powerful lyrics. This 3 piece ensemble took the stage and without any effing round launched hard out into a blistering set that rapidly gathered momentum.
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Gig Review - 8 Foot Sativa - Bar Mode, Palmerston North, 6 October 07
16 Oct 2007 // A review by CEOMong
What can I say? The premier metal band of NZ pealed out a solid 45 minute non-stop powerful set of pure molten metal, straight into the adoring ears of the chorus.
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CD Review – Ward 10 – Curing Those Who Are Normal (2007)
02 Oct 2007 // A review by CEOMong
Nice bit of hook for the intro track to Ward 10s debut album, some crazy little bluesy riffs, interspersed with some metal bass headbanging riffs. Could fully hear this going off at the pub.
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Kitsch - Gig Review - Valve Bar, 8 Sep 07
01 Oct 2007 // A review by CEOMong
Kitsch took the stage around 1am, opening with their blistering radio-friendly anthem “Memory Of Me”. The crowd was immediately owned, and rocked out hard to the too-short 30-minute set, filled with explosive riffs and catchy lyrics.
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Cobra Khan - Gig Review - Valve Bar, 8 Sep 07
01 Oct 2007 // A review by CEOMong
A fantastically speedy and non-stop act that had both wifey and myself on our feet rocking out. Before the band cranked up, I wondered what value the keyboard would add.
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Strangers - Gig Review - Valve Bar, 8 Sep 07
01 Oct 2007 // A review by CEOMong
This rockin’ local 2-bass 5-piece took the stage at a time that coincided nicely with the locals flooding the bar in anticipation. They opened and continued with tight high-intensity riffs – the only disappointing feature was the tendency of the vocal mix to be a bit off, being swallowed up by the sheer awesomeness and complexity of the axes.
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Take The Willing @ Bar Mode
26 Aug 2007 // A review by CEOMong
Me, Wifey & Bubba arrived at Bar Mode along with a multitude of metalheads and other unloved children just in time to witness one of the best metal bands my thrashed earholes have ever had the pleasure of hearing. And what’s more it was completely unexpected, which made it all the more engaging.
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Take The Willing – Fight Music
26 Aug 2007 // A review by CEOMong
I’ve had mixed up jumbles of songs with names like “I’ll Kill Everyone At This Party” & “At This Moment In Time I’m Popular With A Lot Of Drunk People” stuck in my head for two weeks now, just kicking round in there. Take The Willing are that kind of band.
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The Deadly Deaths- Debut Album
24 Jun 2007 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
Although the name doesn’t suggest it, The Deadly Deaths debut album is soothing and articulate, like a pre planned walk in the park with a close friend or relative. I find myself subconsciously listening to this album, but moments like the whaling guitar in ‘Deadline’ really capture your attention.
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OpShop - Second Hand Planet
16 Jun 2007 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
First of all Jason Kerrison, good stuff on those Music Month ads, now on a more serious note, Opshops’ second album Second Hand Planet isn’t half bad. After a debut album fronting radio friendly hits like ‘No Ordinary Thing’ and ‘Levitate’, a chart topping second album seems out of reach for most of the mediocre bands New Zealand has been producing lately.
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Ritalin- Roguetown
16 May 2007 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
Ritalin is reminiscent of Metallica in the ‘kill em all’ days, especially with guitaring like that in ‘The Haunting’. But apart from some good moments, the rest of the mid chorus strumming started to hurt my ears a bit.
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Brutally Frank - The Finer Details
15 Apr 2007 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
When a band becomes sponsored by sunglasses and clothing labels, what would you expect? These guys are pretty tight when it comes to musicianship, but some of their song writing is a bit high school.
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Samuel Flynn Scott - San Franciso Bathhouse 14-04-2007
14 Apr 2007 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
A collaboration of two of New Zealand’s finest songwriters made for a night of rugby jokes, charm less humour, and an array of songs which were destined to be worshiped religiously. Samuel Flynn Scott and Lawrence Arabia combined their sets to create one large, long set filled with both of their song writing goodness.
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Secluded By Right - Secluded ... Yeah Right!
12 Apr 2007 // A review by CEOMong
It was recently my pleasure to review Secluded By Right's SbR EP - their debut 6 track CD that just didn't do them any justice - only made me need to see them live. These guys have been playing together for years, and you can certainly tell - clean, sharp riffs, powerful anthems leaving me wanting more.
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Tempo 38 - Tempo38/Provoke Split Compilation
02 Apr 2007 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
I once thought the Trans Tasman rivalry was solely based on the results of cricket matches. Now that we’ve been handed Australia/New Zealand hardcore the rivalry has been cross credited to a battle of the screamos.
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DateMonthYear- 7Ghosts
28 Mar 2007 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
Prelude- amazing. Intense and fierce.
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OdESSA - Motel Machine- Single
28 Mar 2007 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
After Oak Park Avenue, and with hits like ‘Sugar Pop’, ‘Promises’ and ‘Bring Your Money Back’, I was left wondering if OdESSA would become yet another one album wonder along with the likes of The Darkness and Jet. After bringing exciting, fresh material to the Wellington music scene, and along with a killer live performance, what could they do next to try and maintain this new found success?
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SJD @ Happy, Wellington
15 Mar 2007 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
The last time I was at Happy on Tory Street in Wellington I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the band that was playing (The Dylan Storey Band), and being the well known SJD I knew this time was going to be no different. The last time I saw SJD live was on the opera house tour with the Phoenix Foundation, so I had recollections of a fantastic performance, and seeing them in a more intimate setting was very exciting.
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Charlie Ash @ Bar Bodega 23/02/07
27 Feb 2007 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
Auckland’s electro pop Charlie Ash set the scene for the evening by painting the faces of the audience as they entered Bar Bodega, and although it smelt like rotten fish oil it created a highlighter, early 90s, mullet theme throughout the audience and onto the stage. And I quote Rosie- “face paint is better when it’s not paper”.
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Equus- Hind Legs
27 Feb 2007 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
Sounding like a local garage band, I would expect Equus would have a large local following and be the biggest thing to hit pubs and taverns in recent years. Hind legs is a New Zealand album.
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Strangers - 'Holding' Review
07 Feb 2007 // A review by trevf
'Holding' By Strangers Review by trevf Track List 1. Meursalt Blues 2.
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Connan Mockasin - Kings Arm 20/01/2007
23 Jan 2007 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
The Kings Arms Aye, who would’ve thought. A lot probably but that’s beside the point.
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The New Caledonia - Live Review 13-01-07
17 Jan 2007 // A review by trevf
Live review By Trevf The new Caledonia @ Sohl Bar, Hamilton on 13-01-07 Set list - Pseudo Zoot Suit? - Disco In Outer Space City?
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Gianmarco Liguori - 'Stolen Paintings'
20 Nov 2006 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Like adding a dash of chilli spice to a meal, Gianmarco Liguori trickles into his debut solo album a unique 21st century twist to traditional guitar weaving. Better recognised as the guitarist of the endowed Salon Kingsadore, Liguori takes a leap into the deeper dimensions of music with this project.
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House of Shem @ Subnine in Wellington
19 Nov 2006 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
Sub nine is a youth friendly venue which has a tendency to make gigs feel like fourth form dances. Don't ask me why.
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The Dylan Storey Band @ Happy in Wellington 18/11/2006
19 Nov 2006 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
I had never been to Happy in Wellington before last night, but I’m comprehensively glad I went for a number of reasons. Being at the top of Tory Street was an added bonus because it was well away from the city centre so I could bypass the drunken fools in town on my way home.
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The Black Seeds - 'Into The Dojo'
12 Nov 2006 // A review by Shade
With their third studio album released recently, The Black Seeds have definitely made an impact in the New Zealand music scene. Established in the sound of roots and dub - more so the latter - Into The Dojo consists of The Black Seeds’ essence however it is refined to a smoother, crisper sound.
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Gianmarco Liguori Review
23 Oct 2006 // A review by Shade
Some weeks ago I mentioned having seen the group Dukes of Leisure play at the Auckland Observatory Skydome. On the same bill was Salon Kingsadore, also enjoying an appropriately spacey venue for music that took off on instrumental astral flights.
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Salon Kingsadore Live @ Bar Bodega 14/10/2006
18 Oct 2006 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
I once thought the best way to imagine being on holiday on a cold, windy night was to drink home made lemonade with an umbrella in it and watch saved by the bell re runs. How wrong I was.
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Ishtar - New EP! South of Sanity
01 Oct 2006 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
Don’t judge a book by its cover, is what I have learnt from listening to Ishtar’s new E.P South of Sanity.
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The Septembers - Cabaret Wellington Gig
30 Sep 2006 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
Saturday night saw me trudge around half of Wellington as I tried to find a bar/venue called Cabaret which I had never heard of before. I finally decided to ask in the nearby Starmart for directions only to find I had walked straight past it several times.
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The Rock and Roll Machine - Debut Self Titled Album
30 Sep 2006 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
After a bad Rock and Roll Machine gig experience, their self titled debut album came as a very, very pleasant release. After receiving their album, I haven’t taken it out of my stereo since, and has been played a hundred times since then.
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Stellar* - Something Like Strangers
30 Sep 2006 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
Stellar seem to have taken a softer approach in making their new album, Something Like Strangers, which in turn has created a lazy Sunday album which you can have playing in the back ground from start to finish. Andy Lovegroove provides additional vocals in the beautiful duet which is 'For A While'.
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Agent - 'Expand/Contract'
11 Sep 2006 // A review by Shade
Hard, raw and dark. The impressive sound that is Agent will leave you feeling satisfied, but you will still want to hear more.
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The Black Seeds 'Into The Dojo' release tour in Palmerston North
25 Aug 2006 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
Alexander Kapranos once said “It’s always better on holiday”, and I’ve come to the conclusion he was comprehensively correct in saying so. There’s something about being away from home that makes everything that much more exciting, so I packed up the car, got the lads, bought some booze and headed out into the unknown for some guaranteed chaos.
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Stylus - Gain Control
21 Aug 2006 // A review by Epitomised_Drummer
On June 10th Stylus released their 2nd album Gain Control through Wildside Records. With new guitarist Aja Timu taking the reigns from previous guitarist Kenneth Holt, Stylus have a brighter new sound, which is a lot more upbeat and rock orientated from their first album Painkillers, but still retains hints of the hip hop style that made Painkillers very unique.
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Deja Voodoo - Deja Voodo - Back In Brown
20 Aug 2006 // A review by Sailor
Well....here it is, yet another ear rocking Deja Voodoo album.
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The Rock and Roll Machine - The Big Kumara 10-8-2006
12 Aug 2006 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
Thursday nights don’t usually see me out of the comfort of my living room, but this was no ordinary Thursday night. The Big Kumara in Wellington was to hold The Rock ‘n’ Roll Machine.
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Bachelorette - San Francisco Bathhouse 4-8-2006
05 Aug 2006 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
At Luke Buda's gig at the San Francisco Bathhouse last night, a youthful Bachelorette opened for him. Her musical style was fitting for the type of music which was to come, and was relaxing entertainment until Buda took the stage.
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Luke Buda 4-8-2006
05 Aug 2006 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
Being a big fan of The Phoenix Foundation, I had high expectations for Luke Buda's solo performance at the San Francisco Bathhouse last night. When Luke finally came on sporting a pompous jacket with tails and all, I knew I wasn’t about to be let down.
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Stylus @ The Break, Palmerston North - Thu 20 July 06
30 Jul 2006 // A review by Shade
It was a cold and wet night - typical of any other winter night in Palmerston North - but tonight was anything but typical. Stylus was about to take to the stage in true rock fashion to celebrate the release of their latest album Gain Control, and they were going to set this night apart from every other winter's night.
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Elemeno P - Palmerston North - 6 July 06
13 Jul 2006 // A review by Shade
Passionate, inspirational and awesome – these are three words that describe Elemeno P perfectly. Long before they took to the stage you could almost reach out and touch the anticipation that filled the room.
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Goodnight Nurse - Palmerston North 6 July 06
13 Jul 2006 // A review by Shade
Goodnight Nurse is the perfect band to accompany Elemeno P on their tour – more than just another opening act, with strong friendships on display it was soon obvious why Elemeno P had chosen Goodnight Nurse to go on tour with them.Described as being one of New Zealand’s biggest up-and-coming rock acts, Goodnight Nurse showed they really know how to use their instruments with exciting guitar solos and energetic beats while getting the crowd all worked up with their catchy sound and songs that will stick in your head for days.
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dDub - Comfort Tour
13 Jul 2006 // A review by Shade
With the cold, dark and wet winter hanging around, dDub’s tour is definitely one of the best remedies around to kill those winter blues. Kicking it off in Auckland labelled the Comfort tour, the band are touring Aotearoa this June and July to promote their music video Comfort.
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Review: Revolver, Brutally Frank, Jackpoint @ The Dogs Bollix, Friday 23rd June 2006
28 Jun 2006 // A review by Epitomised_Drummer
I sauntered/staggered in to The Dogs Bollix to watch this show, and wasn’t disappointed. Not quite a packed house but a bloody decent showing for a Friday night when both The WBC and The Bleeders where playing in the same neighbourhood!
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Its time to get away.- Salon Kingsadore-"Hotel Azteca" album review
18 Jun 2006 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
It may not be possible to have a holiday at this frenzied point of the year; however that does not mean you do not need one. You could spend hours of your routine visioning yourself on a distant destination.
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Selon Recliner - Rest Room Album Review
30 May 2006 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Candor is the intermittent light on the key to the Rest Room. As the door opens, a rush of scent from candles sweeps through and the dim lighting draws in with magnetism.
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5star Fallout - Awapuni Tavern, Palmerston North - 26 May
30 May 2006 // A review by Shade
Led by ex-NZ Idol runner-up Michael Murphy, I expected 5star Fallout to come up with recycled pop-rock covers but they definitely proved me wrong. Prior to the gig, Quarter 2 had nothing but good things to say about this band and I have to say that I agree with everything they said.
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Quarter 2 - Awapuni Tavern, Palmerston North - 26 May
30 May 2006 // A review by Shade
After a long and highly anticipated wait Quarter 2 took to the stage - and it was definitely worth the wait. From the very start Quarter 2 rocked up a storm and took NZ ska punk to the extreme.
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Juse - Global Casino Album Review
29 May 2006 // A review by Dilemma
Global Casino is a Rap/Hip-Hop infused representation of Roots Kiwi music because it is very proud of its beginning and a place called South Auckland. It opens with Ride 'Till I Die which is a catchy first tune to set the tone for the rest of the tracks.
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Kora - EP Volume Review
18 May 2006 // A review by Shade
Review by Fliss MastersKora are the next big thing; that is, if they aren’t already. The four brothers - Stu, Brad, Fran and Laughton Kora along with Dan McGruar make up Kora and have taken the New Zealand Dub scene by storm.
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Donald Reid - In A Taxi Home
14 May 2006 // A review by laneem
"Reid has a way with a melody that is as natural and unforced as Neil Finn, and his songs have that great virtue: big, identifiable and memorable choruses. You need only hear the title track of this impressive album once and you'll remember it forever.
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The Bleeders @ The Globe 20 April 2006
24 Apr 2006 // A review by Shade
The Bleeders played @ The Globe in Palmerston North on Thursday the 20th of April 2006 as part of their tour for their new album 'As Sweet As Sin'.The room darkened and the crowd chanted out their name.
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Tempo 38 @ The Globe 20 April 2006
24 Apr 2006 // A review by Shade
Tempo 38 were the second act to open for The Bleeders at their Palmerston North gig @ The Globe on Thursday the 20th of April 2006.Tempo 38 started where Black Chrome left off and didn't miss a beat in keeping the crowd worked up.
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Black Chrome @ The Globe 20 April 2006
24 Apr 2006 // A review by Shade
Black Chrome played as a support act for The Bleeders at their Palmerston North gig @ The Globe on Thursday the 20th of April 2006.After seeing Black Chrome play live in the Square as a support act for Shihad, I knew that they were the best local act to open for The Bleeders.
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Black Chrome Album Review
24 Apr 2006 // A review by Shade
Sometimes, bands get swept up in trying to break new musical ground, experiment with new sounds, express some high-brow socio-political message. All to often, such lofty aims means the resulting music is unlistenable or sober wank.
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Ruptus Jack @ Mango Music
07 Apr 2006 // A review by Shade
When I first heard that Ruptus Jack was having another tour it was a priority of mine to go along and see them. They played at our 5th birthday gig in Auckland last year and ever since then I haven't been able to get enough of their powerful, catchy and seriously awesome music.
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The Dylan Storey Band Reviews
27 Mar 2006 // A review by Shade
“The flow of this album is masterful as Storey’s guitar takes the listener on a ride through sweet fields of acoustic musing past psychedelic skyscraper riffs and up into the mountains of pure rock and roll power. This is one of the most essential and complete New Zealand albums to come out in recent years”.
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dDUB - Awake At Dawn
15 Mar 2006 // A review by Shade
- Written by FelicityAs soon as I hit play, I was hooked. The new album by dDub, Awake At Dawn, starts off with an explosive bang: straight into the lively upbeat sound of Dub.
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The D4: Out Of My Head
20 Dec 2005 // A review by Epitomised_Drummer
There is only really one word that describes the new album recently released by NZ’s own “The D4” – WICKED. Completely Phat is another way I choose to describe it.
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Agent - Palmerston North Gig
05 Nov 2005 // A review by Shade
Last Friday we headed along to the first gig we had been to since the muzic.net.
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DateMonthYear - Sampler review from Absorbed!
03 Oct 2005 // A review by trevf
Go there now! [url]http://www.
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El Schlong - loudious deepthroatus
28 Sep 2005 // A review by Kraven
Reviewed by Tristan Egarr First, this is a biased review; how could it be otherwise? Only after seeing El Schlong play '2 ½ Dalis', did this reviewer realise there were other things in North Dunedin than drunken PE students being cocks, so the band will always hold a special place in my metal heart.
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David Yetton - Blow Out Your Candles
13 Sep 2005 // A review by laneem
In the midst of preparing for exams and writing essays I stumbled across an album, a laid-back, listen to on a Sunday with a chilled bottle of wine and good book kind of album to be exact… The album: Blow Out Your Candles The artist: Singer, Songwriter, Bass Player and founder member of The Jean-Paul Sartre Experience: Mr. David Yetton The Press Release accompanying the release of Blow Out Your Candles informs you about Yetton’s past musical endeavours, so I’ll start from the beginning… 1986, The JPS Experience signed to Flying Nun Records.
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Jeff Clarkson - Breathing Space
13 Jul 2005 // A review by Lynda
Jeff Clarkson's CD, Breathing Space is a very moving and timeless collection of songs that range from 4:40mins to 21:30mins long! The lyrics are pure and indepth about love.
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Stingfish & Cop Car Mini-Tour
28 Nov 2004 // A review by Shade
Review about the tour as written by Stingfish: We have just completed a mini-tour venturing out of the capital with punk-rockers Cop-Car. It was cool.
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Eight & Opshop 08/04
31 Aug 2004 // A review by Dilemma
Going into Altitude in Hamilton is always an exciting prospect especially when you’re seeing NZ music, but good NZ music. Eight are one of my fav NZ bands, and OpShop are growing on me more and more.
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Tali - Lyric On My Lip Album Review
14 Aug 2004 // A review by Shade
MC Tali is an extremly talented and amazing individual who not only has the ability to use her versatile voice in a variety of styles, but she also creates her own catchy, up beat and funky music. She accomplishes so much more than the average vocalist - the music is all hers, as are the lyrics.
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Epitome - Testing The Water EP Review
20 Jul 2004 // A review by Shade
Testing The Water is an EP from a band that has their heads screwed on right. Auckland band Epitome know what they want and what they need to do to get it.
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Ben Lummis - One Road Album Review
20 Jun 2004 // A review by Shade
Reviewed by Rebecca Barry for the NZ Herald.In an ideal world, the profits from all those NZ Idol text messages would have paid for superstars to produce the winner's CDs.
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P-Bass Expressway at Winnie Bagoes
08 May 2004 // A review by Shade
Saturday 24 April, Winnie Bagoes Reviewed by Kate McNally P-Bass Expressway, one of the best up-and-coming live acts in New Zealand, reunited in Christchurch for a one-off gig, showcasing old and new material to a small crowd in Winnie Bagoes. Because of Anzac Day the following day, the bar had to shut at midnight, so the night kicked off reasonably early.
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Eight Reviews
16 Mar 2004 // A review by Shade
“Without any hype at all I can say that eight have been the most asked for music from our customers, we are always getting messages from our managers asking which company has this release”. Jody Garrett, PlanetJack.
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The Black Seeds - On the Sun Album Review
08 Feb 2004 // A review by Shade
By RUSSELL BAILLIE (Herald rating: * * *) It is a backhand compliment, but the Black Seeds - another outfit from Wellington supporting the theory that every second flat in Newtown comes with its own brass section - are a goodtime kind of band. That's certainly reinforced by their second album, On The Sun, a crisp, catchy, if slightly mannered collection of dub-funk with an icing of sweet pop tunes.
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Daniel Gannaway - FINE BY ME: by Rich Freeman
08 Jan 2004 // A review by Kraven
It was a given that Daniel would turn up in Sydney with a surfboard. He hadn't seen a beach in a few years and we knew he was hanging out to get in the ocean.
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Daniel Gannaway - FLASHBACK: by Lucy Cooper
08 Jan 2004 // A review by Kraven
A friend gave me FINE BY ME while I was travelling and it seemed to click with exactly where I was at, wherever that was, becoming a kind of 'processing' album for me. It was at least six months later that I actually met Daniel when he played a support to Carla Werner at the Hopetown Hotel in Sydney.
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Daniel Gannaway - BOOTLEGGED AT THE TEMPLE: by Justin Walsh
08 Jan 2004 // A review by Kraven
Daniel's third album, Bootlegged at The Temple, came at a time when Daniel was fascinated with the idea of "a guy doing his thing, unannounced in a bar." "I wasn't on the gig guide," Daniel says of the nights in question.
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Daniel Gannaway - BOUND AND SUBURBAN: by Jim Santo - Demo Universe
08 Jan 2004 // A review by Kraven
Lovely dreamy folky stuff from this New Zealand-born singer/songwriter and global traveler (he sent this package from Amsterdam, but as of August 2002 he was planning a move to London). Several reviewers have compared Gannaway to Jeff Buckley, but I think he sounds more like Jeff's father Tim.
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Daniel Gannaway - BOUND AND SUBURBAN: by Terry Allen - hEARd Magazine
08 Jan 2004 // A review by Kraven
A pretty fascinating album from a New Zealand songwriter, whose vocals are remarkable, concentrating on the effects of the voice on songs, rather than so much on the instrumentals which drive them, those here a rather soft backing to the rest of the song. There are some outstanding tracks here, given the briefest of good introductions of what's to come later on the opening track "The Lights R'out (Over Caldor)", which is a very unusual song.
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Daniel Gannaway - BOUND AND SUBURBAN: by Earl Green - TheLogBook
08 Jan 2004 // A review by Kraven
This appealing self-published entry from New Zealand singer/songwriter Daniel Gannaway may be a low-key winner, but it's a winner nonetheless - actually, it's one of the best things that I've heard so far this year. Predominantly a one-man-and-his-guitar album with some drum machine and the occasional overdubbed keyboards and backing vocals, Bound And Suburban benefits from some self-assured musicianship and an excellent lyrical sensibility.
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Daniel Gannaway - BOUND AND SUBURBAN: by Simon Sweetman - NZ Musician Magazine
08 Jan 2004 // A review by Kraven
I can only presume that Daniel Gannaway has made all the music on this album. No other musicians are mentioned - if so, that's pretty cool.
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Daniel Gannaway - BOUND AND SUBURBAN: by Andrew Magilow - Splendid E-zine
08 Jan 2004 // A review by Kraven
Best digested via headphones, Bound and Suburban is both ethereal and eerie. Gannaway's acoustic guitar coolly winds through subtle drum machine beats, eventually flowing into a turbulent pool that's punctuated with emotional intensity.
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Daniel Gannaway - BOUND AND SUBURBAN: by Faith Hamblyn - XTRAMSN
08 Jan 2004 // A review by Kraven
Daniel Gannaway combines a brooding, geographical view and a warm, visceral folk vocal to create a timeless and striking album in 'Bound and Suburban'. Deeply suited to acoustic performance and with cyclic, rhythmic backing, the lyrics strike a chord somewhere that you can't quite pinpoint.
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Daniel Gannaway - BOUND AND SUBURBAN: by Jennifer Layton - Indie-Music.com
08 Jan 2004 // A review by Kraven
I just walked my baby home through an argument to the steps before our door. She knows I won’t sleep, no, I’ll streetskate and burn my attitude off....
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Charmaine Ford - Blues For Guppy
29 Nov 2003 // A review by Kraven
Review published in The Dominion Post. Review by Colin Morris.
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Chris Mason-Battley Group - Jazz Infused With True Kiwi Flavour
09 Nov 2003 // A review by Shade
In a New Zealand jazz landscape strewn with copycats a few courageous breakaway outfits attempt to create a jazz that is truly Kiwi. Among the current emerging supernovas are the Chris Mason-Battley Group, whose camaraderie as a band and original compositions struck a major chord with their Tauranga Arts Festival audience at Pacific Crystal Palace last night.
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Elemeno P and Evermore Palmerston North Gig
18 Aug 2003 // A review by Shade
Venue: Fat Ladies Arms, Palmerston NorthStart: Evermore: 9:15pm, Elemeno P: 10:30pm (doors open 7pm)Date: Thursday 14 August 2003The evening started with us standing around outside in the cold air silently begging for the doors to open. After being lucky enough to see the bands rush past us on their way to dinner, we stepped into the warmth of the Fats about 7:15pm, and over the next two hours the room filled up to a sell out crowd – we knew that this was one gig that was going to rock.
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Indicator Dogs Palmerston North Gig
17 Jun 2003 // A review by Shade
Written by the Indicator Dogs.. Where do we start with this one?
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RSI - Reality Sets In Album Review
16 Jun 2003 // A review by Shade
Thanks to punkas.com for the following:Christchurch's RSI are one of the lynchpins of the punk scene in the South Island, and with the end of Molly Says Go, have become the premier skate/punk act in the Garden City.
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