Job Site - EP Review: The New Zealand Experience
15 Oct 2024 // review by Nicholas Clark
Emerging from the Waikato, high energy punk band Job Site showcases
their special blend of comedic music on their latest offering, the 4 track The
New Zealand Experience EP. The band plays fast and heavy throughout the
recording, with rhythms that range from oi-punk, thrash music and even a little
2000’s indie rock.
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Voodoo Bloo - Album Review: Dead-end Rodeo
28 Aug 2024 // review by Nicholas Clark
Rodeos, at least in this country, aren’t perceived as sport
nowadays. If the term is used at all in New Zealand it usually refers to a
metaphor for an intense struggle to survive or to conquer the unconquerable, if
but for fleeting moment.
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Bad Schematics - Gig Review: Bad Schematics @ Moon, Wellington - 26/07/2024
27 Jul 2024 // review by Nicholas Clark
Fresh from picking up numerous awards in the recent National Battle of the Bands competition, Bad Schematics have embarked on a North Island tour including Tauranga, Auckland and their hometown Palmerston North, to promote their newest album,C O L L I D E. Tonight, along with winners of the competition for this year, Adoneye, finalists Donal and The Bucks and last
year’s second place winners, Dave and the Dirty Humans, Bad Schematics hit Wellington’s favourite underground alternative music venue and pizzeria, Moon.
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Floyd Marsden - Gig Review: Floyd Marsden @ Valhalla, Wellington - 18/07/2024
19 Jul 2024 // review by Nicholas Clark
Although technically a sad affair, (as it was to be final of Floyd Marsden’s string of local shows promoting
her album The Disco Lizards), the atmosphere in Valhalla was uncharacteristically filled with retro vibes but the usual friendly faces. In support for this show was Adult Friends, spearheaded by vocalist/guitarist Jackson Kidd who was also the producer
of The Disco Lizards.
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SuperMild - SuperMild - EP Review: SuperMild
11 Jun 2024 // review by Nicholas Clark
SuperMild is a busy band playing lots of venues and
entertaining crowds with their blend of reggae tinged psychedelic rock. Their debut,
self-titled four song EP is out now, and it spans the many sounds the band can summon
with just three members.
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MNZ Interview: The AUX Return 013: Side Eye
06 Jun 2024 // interview by Nicholas Clark
The AUX Return attended Side Eye's EP release at Wellington's Moon1 for their latest offering: Monster. We talked about how the band is structured, who writes the riffs, and who they'd like to open for.
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Anecdata - Album Review: Obsolete
05 Jun 2024 // review by Nicholas Clark
Anecdata is a one man band, Dan, who proves without a shadow of a doubt that a single person can be far more prolific than a band of many members. He has recorded nine albums and a number of singles, dabbling in various genres (grunge pop as well as new
wave inspired rock) and done covers also including New Zealand classic Sierra Leone, originally by Coconut Rough, and two Beatles covers (I Am The Walrus, and Things We Said Today).
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Carb On Carb - Album Review: Take Time
16 May 2024 // review by Nicholas Clark
Carb on Carb was a busy, touring band until the lockdowns of
2020 and 2021. While promoting their first two full length albums, For Ages and
their self-titled debut, James Stuteley (drums / vocals) and Nicole Gaffney (guitar
/ vocals) toured as far as Japan and the US, as well as extensively throughout
New Zealand.
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MNZ Interview: The AUX Return 011: Bradley Hanan Carter
14 May 2024 // interview by Nicholas Clark
The AUX Return looked back at history with Bradley Hanan Carter, through his musical career in the early 2000's with Steriogram, then into Pistol Youth, his rock outfit NO and his break from music.
Recently, Bradley has released a song, Walking in the Rain with a new project called Faux Prix.
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Libbianski - Album Review: Useless Splendour
03 May 2024 // review by Nicholas Clark
Unless you haven’t been paying attention, there’s a shoegaze revival occurring right now in Wellington. Many new bands are defining themselves as part of this subgenre of rock; namedropping band names such as Slow Dive, My Bloody Valentine or Swervedriver and leaning into the tenants of the tradition such as utilising effect pedals to create a lush, heavily affected guitar sound, and of course, looking at their shoes whilst playing (where the name of the style originates).
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Matt Hay - MNZ Interview: The AUX Return 009: Matt Hay
25 Apr 2024 // interview by Nicholas Clark
The AUX Return sat down to chat with legendary blues and country player, Matt Hay. Topics such as the 90's live music scene, harmonica microphones, if Americana (or specifically 'Kiwimericana') needs to experiment from one release to another or remain
the same, and the importance of a producer on getting out of the box.
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Guilt Grip - Guilt Grip - Album Review: Guilt Grip
12 Apr 2024 // review by Nicholas Clark
Tamaki Makaurau Auckland four-piece Guilt Grip present here, available in the unconventional medium of cassette tape, their first full length self-titled album. It’s an abrasive listen that suits the surreal collaged artwork by Lia
Boscu, and one that proudly and loudly celebrates the band’s passions and values.
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Tower Of Flints - Album Review: Live at Paisley Stage
12 Feb 2024 // review by Nicholas Clark
The true proof that any band is worthy of praise is the live act. Recalling my own introduction to certain
musicians, the quality of a live album would often be the deciding factor of whether I would continue to follow a band.
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Mister Unit - MNZ Interview: The AUX Return 008: Mister Unit
22 Jan 2024 // interview by Nicholas Clark
The AUX Return sat down with vocalist Andrew and rhythm guitarist Simon of Mister Unit behind the infamous Valhalla to discuss their latest album, There’s Always Someone With A Bigger Schtick.
We chatted about the recent passing of their bassist Gareth Smith who features on the album, punk music traditions and the frustrations (and hilarity) of writing music in a group.
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Mister Unit - Gig Review: Mister Unit @ Valhalla, Wellington - 18/01/2024
21 Jan 2024 // review by Nicholas Clark
An emotional night for many, Valhalla hosted Mister Unit's album release party on Thursday with a three-band line-up. Emotional because the conclusion of work on a recording always is, whether or not it is a celebration, especially so on the dense, powerful and ultimately nostalgic six track album by the headlining band; but more than usual perhaps, because one member who featured on the album was no longer with us.
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Lung - Lung - Album Review: Lung Cancer
07 Jan 2024 // review by Nicholas Clark
The legendary 90’s grunge band Lung recently returned to playing live gigs after a hiatus from 1994 until
the 2010’s. In 2022 they released Bad Acid Soundtracks II which offered newer versions from their earlier records (like 3 Heads on a Plate and Cactii) but featured the impressive drumming from frontman Dave White’s son, Zak.
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Curlys Jewels - MNZ Interview: The AUX Return 007: Curlys Jewels
22 Nov 2023 // interview by Nicholas Clark
At their usual haunt, the much loved and infamous Lovelands venue, Curlys Jewels sat down with The AUX Return to chat about their new self titled album.
They discussed how they had grown up from a baby band, working with producer Greg Haver, their stripped down sound, who would replace them if they had access to any musician living or dead, and when they would time-travel to in New Zealand's rich history
of rock music.
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Tomahawk Radio - Album Review: Dreaming With A View
20 Jun 2023 // review by Nicholas Clark
Tomahawk Radio’s debut album, Dreaming With A View follows their recent single release of the pop tinged
rock song Missiles. The band is effectively listenable, soft, alternative rock, but perhaps ‘soft’ is not a favourable way to describe them – ‘sensible’ might be better.
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The Bravo Uniform Mikes - MNZ Interview: The AUX Return 006: The Bravo Uniform Mikes
13 Jun 2023 // interview by Nicholas Clark
The Bravo Uniform Mikes sat down at Valhalla with The AUX Return on their final date of their Lower North Island tour to talk about highlights (Taranaki's Eltham Toy Wall), road life, playing loud bluesy rock, their plans for the future and who could replace them in an emergency. They also chatted about their dream band to open for (The Chats), their favourite venue from the tour and their skills at multi-tasking.
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The Knids - Single Review: Doesn't Make It Right
07 Jun 2023 // review by Nicholas Clark
The Knids latest single offer the same toe-tapping pop rock they are now known for. Doesn’t Make It Right has overtones of The Cars and other 80’s rock-tinged pop, not that it’s an easy thing to pull off!
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Torn Chorus - Single/Video Review: Time I Wasn't Here
22 May 2023 // review by Nicholas Clark
Torn Chorus’ latest single Time I Wasn't Here is a mid-tempo rocker that is a pleasant, country tinged song with a not so hidden meaning. The act is a one man band, Franklin Davis, who plays all the instruments and performs all the vocals capably in a no-nonsense approach.
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Dead Favours - MNZ Interview: The AUX Return 004: Dead Favours
01 May 2023 // interview by Nicholas Clark
The AUX Return caught up with Auckland band Dead Favours during their nationwide tour to promote Riffing and Yelling Part 2. This 6 track album forms one half of what would have been one album in an alternative universe without covid-19 and Auckland floods.
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Dead Favours - Gig Review: Dead Favours @ Meow, Wellington - 27/04/2023
30 Apr 2023 // review by Nicholas Clark
Meow was humming on Thursday night as the locals awaited two
Auckland bands and a Wellingtonian act to entertain them. Rock and roll legends Dead Favours, on tour for their second six-track EP Riffing and Yelling Part 2 (or the second part of their second album if you want to think about it that
way) were headlining, bringing with them pop-punks Ekko Park.
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InDuna - Single/Video Review: Dreams
08 Apr 2023 // review by Nicholas Clark
Ink and Gold: An Artist’s Journey to Olympic Glory is
a documentary about New Zealand artist and athlete, Zakea Page, winning the Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games medal design competition. It’s an engaging short film to say the least, with a message about persevering despite the odds and celebrating the intersection of passions, in this case, sport and art.
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TheSlacks - Single/Video Review: Information Ape
20 Feb 2023 // review by Nicholas Clark
TheSlacks latest single Information Ape starts off with a sweet melody that reminds me of a 50's doowop band like The Penguins. Over the top of this some digital noises such as phones ringing and switches changing lines establishes the vibe or both sincere, innocent beginnings and hectic modern life.
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Ripship - Album Review: Fearsome Engine
06 Jan 2023 // review by Nicholas Clark
This couldn’t be a Ripship review without at least mentioning the immense noise the two-piece band produces.
There – I’ve said it; they sure can conjure up some dBs.
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Adult Friends - Single Review: Brittle
12 Dec 2022 // review by Nicholas Clark
In the contemporary music industry, there continues to be a use
for genres to categorize products for easier consumption and describe artists
for potential customers. True artists, pioneers if you will, often reside at
the periphery of the conventions expected of them.
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Tadpole - MNZ Interview: The AUX Return 003: Chris Yong from Tadpole
11 Dec 2022 // interview by Nicholas Clark
This episode covers Tadpole's guitarist from 1999 to 2003, Chris Yong. Here we discuss the newly released Tadpole Collection which features 4 discs, including the bands three studio albums (The Buddhafinger, The Medusa,
and their self-titled final album) but also Remains of The Day, a collection of unreleased songs that include b-sides, live recordings, acoustic versions and other rarities.
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Hans. - EP Review: Candy
08 Dec 2022 // review by Nicholas Clark
Perhaps it was the introduction from the once great publication of VICE appointing him ‘one of the rising
stars of New Zealand Hip Hop’ or perhaps it was Zane Lowe naming him one of New Zealand’s finest rappers, but my expectations were high going in to this review. Previously I had known Hans.
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Alisa Xayalith - EP Review: Superpowers
08 Dec 2022 // review by Nicholas Clark
Alisa Xayalith is one half of New Zealand’s most successful synth-pop acts of the 2010’s; The
Naked and Famous. With Thom Powers, they dominated the early part of the decade with wonderfully produced,
catchy and clever pop songs you could dance in a club or a bedroom to.
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Substax - Single Review: Words
07 Dec 2022 // review by Nicholas Clark
Substax's Words starts off with a fairly typical, hypnotic 180 bpm big club beat. Some of the sounds seem a little
retro here, almost straight off an 80’s synth patch for percussion.
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Bevan Mical - Single Review: Cuts Through The Years
21 Nov 2022 // review by Nicholas Clark
Cuts Through The Years is a jolly, breezy single by multi-instrumentalist, Bevan Mical. The song begins
with a two-chord sequence on acoustic guitar, but there's something exotic about the chords are instruments that support the verse.
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GiGi Genie - EP Review: Seasons of The Soul / Wa O Te Wairua
21 Nov 2022 // review by Nicholas Clark
Seasons of The Soul or Wa O Te Wairua, is a collection of songs by multi-instrumentalist and self-described
folk noir artist GiGi Genie. The group is led by songwriter GiGi Crayford and her support band which includes flautists, violinists, zither and percussion players.
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Ben Horlock - Single Review: Don't Wait On Me
21 Nov 2022 // review by Nicholas Clark
Ben
Horlock (Ngati Porou/Te Arawa) is a pop artist from Dunedin who has an ear for a great pop melody, a knack for moody blues guitar lines, and the kind of voice talent scouts are always listening out for.
His latest release Don’t Wait on Me features the prominent high hat of modern trap music coming out of Atlanta, an ambient synth lifted from a goth club track, with some deep bass chords to anchor it all together.
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Hans Pucket - Album Review: No Drama
21 Nov 2022 // review by Nicholas Clark
Wellington four-piece Hans Pucket is the kind of band you really should get into now (if you haven’t already) and see live before they become massive. That is, if the world is fair and allows these musicians to succeed at their art form because they really are incredibly good at what they do - and that’s writing beautiful, clever, unusual songs that seem to be for and inspired by uncertain times.
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ABRZY - Album Review: 80 Different Ways II
18 Nov 2022 // review by Nicholas Clark
ABRZY (sometimes referred to as Breezy) is a rapper who has quickly made a name for himself for not only
his distinctive, rapid flowing delivery but his unique style that blends influences from Bengali culture. Above all, this release is genuine.
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House of Bonnie Presents @ Valhalla, Wellington - 10/11/2022
12 Nov 2022 // review by Nicholas Clark
While Wellington’s Valhalla can often seem the perfect venue for dark and brutal music with the Viking themed
attire, steep black walls, not to mention imposing decals (including some surviving Halloween decorations), the bar was all colour and light on Thursday evening when Sodalight, REID, Happy Two and Burnt Out Graduate came to brighten the corners. The event
had been organised by The House of Bonnie; an organiser who regularly puts on pop shows that are often related to Massey University creative art graduates.
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Curlys Jewels - Single Review: Criminal
06 Nov 2022 // review by Nicholas Clark
Curlys
Jewels' Criminal begins with one hell of a riff inspired by the glory days of 90’s grunge, but produced with a little more bite giving it a metallic vibe. I instantly thought of Alice in Chains, not only as an influence on the song but
also as another band that drew heavily from both genres.
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The Seizure Police - EP Review: Volume 1
19 Oct 2022 // review by Nicholas Clark
When I say that this release is perfect for meditation I intend it as a compliment. It’s difficult to
make music this laid back, this thoroughly reliant on delay; this austere.
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S H E - Single/Video Review: Everything Was In Black And White
19 Oct 2022 // review by Nicholas Clark
Everything Was
In Black and White is the newest single from Wellington’s S H E, and it packs a wallop.
The band have described their sound as "Lady Gaga meets My Bloody Valentine" and although I was sceptical of such a description at first, it all makes sense when you hear the song (or see the fantastic video that features members in drag alter-egos and is shot in glorious 4K, and of course, in black and white).
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Into Orbit - Gig Review: Into Orbit @ San Fran, Wellington - 14/10/2022
17 Oct 2022 // review by Nicholas Clark
A mere two days before Spook the Horses were scheduled to play a much anticipated show at Wellington’s
San Fran, it was announced they would not be playing at all. Due to some of the members contracting Covid, the band posted on social media that the gig would be going ahead with fellow Wellingtonians Into Orbit taking their place as the headliner.
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Mirrored Walls - EP Review: if i didn't have you here
06 Oct 2022 // review by Nicholas Clark
Mirrored Walls' first EP, if i didn’t have you here features a wide range of sounds and
genre influences, but somehow it all makes sense. On the cover, a couple walks away from us in a faded blue image, but one figure is distorted perhaps through how they are remembered by the other.
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Honeybee - EP Review: From An Unreliable Source
15 Sep 2022 // review by Nicholas Clark
After the success of their first EP Dusty, Honeybee return with a solid and positively shimmering five-track EP written and recorded during the uncertainty of the lockdown period.
This offering contains the same heavily effects laden guitars from Dusty, but there is more energy and perhaps less influence from hip hop.
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Lung - Album Review: Bad Acid Soundtracks II
11 Sep 2022 // review by Nicholas Clark
Lung was a legendary punk, noise band in the early 90’s that embarked on world tours in the Northern Hemisphere
and were lauded by none other than the mighty John Peel. Despite this, by 1994 they were splintering after a tumultuous and short career.
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Serpent Dream - EP Review: Deadlock
07 Sep 2022 // review by Nicholas Clark
You could be forgiven for anticipating a heavy metal with a
cover and title like this. A glowing photogram of an Australian
mental health institution key hints at themes of incarceration
and of security or danger.
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Saint Lane - EP Review: I Thought My Name Was Cursed
07 Sep 2022 // review by Nicholas Clark
Saint Lane’s newest EP begins with a highly predictable chord progression borrowed from The Righteous Brothers’
Unchained Melody and exploited in such songs as The Air That I Breathe by the Hollies, I Know It's Over by The Smiths, Magic City by Gorillaz, Underwear by Pulp and perhaps most famously in Radiohead’s Creep. More modern listeners might recognize
the chord sequence from The Steven Universe opening theme or perhaps Akon’s rearrangement of Bobby Vinton’s Mr Lonely.
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