Anxiety Club - Single Review: Carousel
24 Jun 2022 // by Kev Rowland
Here we have the latest single from
Wellington-based Anxiety Club, taken from the forthcoming album Old Dreams, but
anyone expecting more of their guitar-led music is going to be in for quite a
surprise as there has been a major shift in their sound, caused by circumstance
as much as by design. Like many bands unable to perform or tour over the
pandemic, they used the downtime to focus on new songs, but that was not their
only issue.
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Capital Theatre - Album Review: A Hero's Journey
24 Jun 2022 // by Kev Rowland
Back in March last year I made my
way to the Tuning Fork to catch a three-band bill, one of whom was Capital
Theatre. At that point I had not heard any of their material, so was mightily
impressed to discover they had recorded a concept album for their debut with
Mike Clink (Guns ‘n’ Roses, Megadeth etc) in America, and that night they were
playing it in sequence.
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Sam Bartells - Single Review: Good Intentions
23 Jun 2022 // by Kev Rowland
Last year I saw Sam Bartells at The Tuning Fork
with a full band, and then a few weeks ago he was playing acoustically at a
tiny venue in Ponsonby with just a keyboard player for support (what an
incredible night that was). In some ways his latest single is a combination of
those two very different facets, as the central core of his music is always his
acoustic and vocals.
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South for Winter - EP Review: Acoustic Sessions
22 Jun 2022 // by Kev Rowland
Earlier this year I agreed to review a
concert of the Nashville-based husband and wife duo of Nick Stone (vocals,
guitar) and Dani Cichon (vocals, mandolin), without previously having heard any
of their music and it is fair to say I was blown away. I was fortunate enough
to see them on two consecutive nights, and the mix of Dani’s pure, clear vocals
with Nick’s more classical tones was something to behold.
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Recitals - Single Review: Rock Dove
19 Jun 2022 // by Kev Rowland
Recitals are a 7-piece band based
in both Te Whanganui-A-Tara (Wellington) and Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland) and
comprise Xanthe Rook (bass, vocals), Tharushi Bowatte (trumpet), Carla Camilleri
(keyboards, vocals), Olivia Wilding (cello), Christian Dimick (guitar, vocals),
Josh Finegan (drums), and Sam Curtiss (guitar). Even before
playing the first single from their debut album Orbit I (released at the
end of August on Flying Nun Records) I was intrigued by the line-up as it is
unusual to find both a trumpeter and cellist in the same band, and having now
listened to the single I am still intrigued, but now it is because I am wondering
what the album is like.
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Matt Joe Gow - Album Review: Break, Rattle and Roll
19 Jun 2022 // by Kev Rowland
After touring and playing
numerous festivals in support of Seven Years, Matt returned to the
studio in 2018 to record the follow-up, Break, Rattle and Roll. Released
to wide acclaim, it went one better than his previous release and was awarded
Best Country Album in the 2019 Music Victoria Awards.
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Gig Review: Jenny Mitchell @ Kumeu Live, Kumeu - 18/06/2022
18 Jun 2022 // by Kev Rowland
Over to Kumeu Arts Centre tonight
to catch two Country singers, along with ace photographer Steve Bone who I had not
worked with since Dragon in February last year due to both Covid and his
schedule getting in the way of things. We both got there early enough to catch
up with the ladies and listen to the soundchecks beforehand and it was obvious
we were on for a good night.
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T-Bone - Album Review: Good n Greasy
16 Jun 2022 // by Kev Rowland
Here we have the debut album by
Wellington-based Kiwi folk Americana act T-Bone, and mighty fine it is too. The
quintet comprises Gerry Paul, Aaron Stewart, Richard Klein, Michael Muggeridge,
and Cameron 'Dusty' Burnell, and they bring together an acoustic mix of zydeco,
old-time, blues, bluegrass, and folk with Americana to create something which
is incredibly enjoyable and full of depth.
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