Anthonie Tonnon, one of Mosgiel's brightest sons, made the trans-island move to Auckland several years ago and based himself in the leafy, lofty suburb of Grey Lynn. Inspired by his new locale and the issues faced when flatting in one of Auckland's most desirable suburbs, Tonnon wrote Marion Bates Realty - decrying the ills of gentrification and greed. The album featuring this song - Up Here For Dancing (released as Tono and The Finance Company) - was critically well-received and cemented Tonnon's reputation as a gifted songwriter with a whole bunch of smarts and heart.

Since ditching his previous moniker and embracing his legal name, Tonnon has turned his attention back to his hometown with Water Underground - the lead single from his upcoming album Successor. Carrying on in the protest tradition of Marion Bates, 'Water Underground' is a tale of political corruption in Canterbury, specifically concerning water rights allocation and the National Government sacking a democratically elected regional council body. This is far too complex to delve into further detail but has been written about excellently here.

Anthonie Tonnon is joined by the veritable super-band lineup of Edward Castelow (Dictaphone Blues), Jonathan Pearce (Sal Valentine & The Babyshakes) and Stu Harwood (Paquin).
Successor is released on March 6 with the band touring the country from March 5.

For more on Anthonie Tonnon: anthonietonnon.com.
Find Anthonie Tonnon on the Auckland Libraries online catalogue.

Written by Anna C

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Getting a bunch of musicians to hand in tracks for a compilation on time already seems like a bit of a nightmare. Asking them to write brand new songs for a compilation seems far, far worse. Then again, perhaps if the recording and the mixing is free and being done by the same person putting together the compilation, the chances for musician procrastination are limited. Perhaps that's what made the daunting premise of A Very Little Christmas possible.

Dave Parker runs a pretty stunningly good recording studio out of his bedroom in Oratia. It's called Little Monster, and he's recorded artists like Ruby Frost, Artisan Guns, Great North, Watercolours and a whole lot more.

As he will explain, A Very Little Christmas covers the quieter side of that spectrum without specifically making a theme of it. Probably every one of the artists has played a set at Auckland's low key bar the Wine Cellar, but it's more just a loosely affiliated group of bands befriended by Parker and former Border Music rep, now Bones and Woods/all around good guy Marty Jones. And with one guy recording 18 bands in his bedroom using largely the same microphones, preamps, room and producer's instincts, it's only natural that the album would have a pretty cohesive sound.



It's also interesting to note that some of the artists would go on to recycle their Christmas tracks for later releases. The Gladeyes re-recorded their stunning Carols and Parties for Shadows Explode.

Dear Times Waste did likewise with her track The Drink, re-recording it and putting it on her sublime record Some Kind of Eden. 

Rather than the re-recordings being a slight on the original recordings, I tend to think of it as a desire to reframe a song in the same sonic context as a new album, and it's a reflection on the quality of the writing generated by the project that artists would come to see their Christmas songs as more than mere novelties. The constraint of writing a song to a specific topic and to a deadline can be a powerful tool for focusing a piece. There's any number of quotes about art and limitations, and these words from G. K. Chesterton serve as good as any. "Art is limitation. The essence of every picture is the frame." Here's David Parker talking about the compilation after the jump.

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Happy April! We are less than one month from another fine NZ Music Month, and to celebrate some local quality, whether it's NZ On Air funded or not, I will be posting your favourite NZ music videos each day through May. Or I might just post my own favourites. It depends what you request.

In other news, two excellent new albums are online and on the shelves right now for your listening pleasure. Both recorded in Auckland: Tono & The Finance Company, as I mentioned in the last post, and Cool Rainbows: Whale Rocket.

So get commenting below with your music video requests, and while you're here check out one of my favourites for inspiration:

Tono has been in town for a couple of years now, and has been writing some brilliant songs which have culminated in this album: Up Here For Dancing.

The album is available for free streaming on the Bandcamp page, and you can download it for US $8 or more.

Formed in uncertain times, with a loaded name, in the faded glow of Dunedin city. Moved to Auckland, hungry for hot air. Ladies and gentlemen, an ambitious, awkward spectacle of a pop group - Tono and the Finance Company.