Kev's Top 10's - 2021
2021 has been a strange year, of that there has been no doubt whatsoever, but although everyone in Auckland is champing at the bit to be let out into the real world, it is probably best to remind ourselves that until we went into lockdown in August we were the envy of the world with festivals, plenty of beer, and the country being totally open (apart from the borders). At that time, I had been to more than 30 gigs, and was on course to hit 50 for the year, never thinking for a minute that August would be the last time I saw a band play live.
I have been writing reviews for more than 30 years, and although I have been in Aotearoa for the last 15, for some reason I had never really thrown myself into the NZ Music scene. That all changed in 2020 when I put my hand up for MNNZ, and I can safely say my musical education has been ongoing since then. I have tried to help out where I can, writing more than is healthy for most people, and generally doing what I can to promote the scene, making loads of friends on the way.
Given I experience more music than is normal, I got to wondering what would my own top ten lists be like? Many of the bands below I hadn’t even heard of this time last year, but it shows what incredible talent there is in NZ, even if it is mostly hiding in the dark corners (often not out of choice) and it takes Lisa and the wonderful team at MNNZ to shine a light on them. Please note the lists below are my personal opinion and does not reflect that of the site itself (and will probably change tomorrow anyway). I did also give myself certain rules – no band can appear in the same list more than once (although they can be in more than one list), and no single can be included if either the album or EP it is taken from also appears.
This is just a bit of fun, and hopefully it will encourage you to investigate some of the reviews which go with them. This list veers from country and folk through to extreme metal and grindcore, with some ethereal stops on the way, and I highly recommend every band included.
Singles
1 Lee
Martin - What If I Die
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92782/lee-martin-singlevideo-review-what-if-i-die
2 Capital Theatre - People
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92270/capital-theatre-singlevideo-review-people
3 Jenny Mitchell - Trouble Finds A Girl
4 Living State - One Sided
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92078/living-state-single-review-one-sided
5 The Not Okays - Bite Me
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92857/singlevideo-review-the-not-okays-bite-me
6 Written By Wolves - Papercut
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92904/written-by-wolves-single-review-papercut
7 In
The Shallows - There You Are
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92903/in-the-shallows-singlevideo-review-there-you-are
8 Seas of Conflict - XII.IX
https://houseofprog.com/blog/2021/09/26/seas-of-conflict-xii-ix-2021-single/
9 Café Fistfight - Pocket Change
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/91839/cafe-fistfight-single-review-pocket-change
10 White Noise Mafia - The Divide
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92284/white-nise-mafia-singlevideo-review-the-divide
EPs
1 Written By Wolves – Secrets//The Collab Project
2 Dead
Favours - Riffing and Yelling
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92171/dead-favours-album-review-riffing-yelling
3 Aro - He Wai
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92523/aro-ep-review-he-wai
4 Channeled - Perception
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92561/channeled-ep-review-perception
5 Ravenhall - The Coming Storm
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92596/ravenhall-ep-review-the-coming-storm
6 Downfall of Humanity - Deceit
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92677/downfall-of-humanity-ep-review-deceit
7 Anderson
Rocio - We're So Fine
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92524/anderson-rocio-ep-review-were-fine
8 Emily Rice - Auhua
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92086/emily-rice-ep-review-auhua
9 Edge of the Woods - Lookin' For Somethin'
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92428/edge-of-the-woods-ep-review-lookin-for-somethin
10 Tall Folk - Live From Martin's
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92352/ep-review-live-from-martins
Albums
1 Troy Kingi - Black Sea Golden Ladder
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92278/troy-kingi-album-review-black-sea-golden-ladder
2 Grawlixes - Love You To Death
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92357/grawlixes-album-review-love-you-to-death
3 French For Rabbits - The Overflow
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92792/french-for-rabbits-album-review-the-overflow
4 Plum Green - Somnambulist
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92618/plum-green-album-review-somnambulist
5 Henika - Strange Creatures
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92812/henika-album-review-strange-creatures
6 Reb Fountain - Iris
https://houseofprog.com/blog/2021/11/06/reb-fountain-iris-2021/
7 Grant Haua - Awa Blues
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/91753/grant-haua-album-review-awa-blues
8 Alien
Weaponry - Tangaroa
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/92583/alien-weaponry-album-review-tangaroa
9 Bridge Burner - Disempath
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/91969/bridge-burner-album-review-disempath
10 Blindfolded and Led To The Woods - Nightmare Withdrawals
Concerts
1 Written By Wolves - Dead Witch
2 Auckland Folk Festival
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/91797/festival-review-auckland-folk-festival-2021-30012021
https://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/91799/festival-review-auckland-folk-festival-2021-31012021
3 Beastwars - Powerstation
4 Dead Favours - Darkroom
5 Capital Theatre - Tuning Fork
6 In The Shallows - Earth Beat Festival
7 Metal Blitz - Dead Witch
8 Sol3
Mio - Spark Arena
9 Pencarrow - Dead Witch
10 Mudbelly - 12 Bar
Band of the Year
Written By Wolves
This time last year I had not even heard of these guys, let alone their music, so to experience them in the flesh and then be involved in a very small way with their EP has been an absolute revelation for me. Not only my musical life but my personal life is enriched by having them in it.
Photo Credits:
Auckland Folk Festival, The Eastern - Steve Bone Photography
Sol3 Mio - Ngamihi Pawa
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I must admit I was not that impressed when I first saw Lost Vessels play at Crushfest, something they later admitted to me was the worst gig of their career, but since then they have improved in leaps and bounds. This has been noticed by others on the Auckland circuit as they are getting more opportunities with better support slots, and I was not at all surprised when they won the Ding Dong Lounge Battle Of The Bands in November last year.
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Read More...
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So it was back to Ding Dong Lounge on a Friday night for one of their infamous Emo nights, which tonight was a three-band bill with Stray Dogs having an extended set, supported by Altaea and then up first we had Blindr, a band new to me. Blindr are a quartet featuring Bill Caldwell (vocals, guitar), Blake Woodfield (lead guitar), Jack Power (bass), and Charlie McCracken (drums).
Read More...
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Read More...
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Here we have the latest single from Wellington-based melodic hard rock quartet This Silent Divide, entitled Beautiful Creature. I really enjoyed their Tall Stories EP, and they played a great gig at Dead Witch towards the end of last year, and this would have been recorded at about the same time.
Read More...
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Earlier this week I had a message from Emily Rice asking me if I lived in South Auckland. When I responded I did, she asked if I would be interested in coming along to an event she was putting on in a coffee shop in Pukekohe to celebrate the release of her new single, Warenoa.
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