Showing posts with label live music. Show all posts

SEE: The Other's Way Festival - Our Picks

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Early September will see The Other's Way festival taking over K Road, in their follow-up to last year's debut. Run by Flying Out and 95bfm, the festival is becoming the NZ equivalent to traditional music industry-festivals such as CMJ or SXSW.

Along with classic NZ and Flying Nun associated acts such as The Phoenix Foundation and David Kilgour, there are appearances from hyped Aussie acts Twerps and Scott and Charlene's Wedding and many more. We've chosen our own stand-outs from the line-up below.

i.e. crazy


i.e. crazy is dark and powerful; she paints herself as the "deranged ex-lover who won’t leave you alone; the batty neighbour spying through the fence; the stranger at the bus stop who holds your gaze that fraction too long." Her live performances are immersive and intimate - drawing you in with quiet, nervous banter between crushing vocal and guitar deliveries. Currently she only has a couple of  songs on bandcamp, stream-able below, but you can also watch this milky video for her single 'You're a stranger to me now'.




Grayson Gilmour


Grayson has been making dense, textured pop music for about a decade now. Though recently his focus has been soundtracks (producing some incredible work for the feature films The Most Fun You Can Have Dying and Shopping, among others). Always a joy to watch. We have a few of his albums here.


Shocking Pinks




The Shocking Pinks are the ever-evolving project of Nick Harte. 2014/2015 saw the formation of a new lineup and completion of an approximately 60-date world tour. One of the best live acts in NZ at present, and who knows if you'll get another chance to see this particular (my favourite) lineup.

PS. The festival isn't all live music, Flying Nun founder Roger Shepherd will also be doing a reading from his recent memoir of the label In Love With These Times.

Tickets are available from undertheradar.co.nz and Flying Out

PPS. (i.e. crazy is also a regular performer around Auckland if you're not interested in the festival atmosphere, watch for shows on their facebook page)

-  James


Steve Earle tonight at the Kings Arms

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I still can't believe Steve Earle is playing the King's Arms tonight. It's pretty exciting to be in such a small place with one of the biggest guys in country music.

From his session songwriting days in Nashville to his rockabilly journeys with Elvis Costello and The Pogues, through addiction, incarceration, rehabilitation, pivotal roles in two of TV's best shows ever: The Wire & Treme, to short story and novel writing. Steve Earle has quite a few stories, and no better suited place to share them than The King's Arms.

If you haven't got a ticket, I highly recommend you check out his son Justin Townes Earle next week, who is proving to step out his Dad's shadow in skill and imagination.

Upcoming

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It’s not a great looking forecast, but don’t be a suburban Aucklander, come on, put on your parka and get out there, you can do it, it’ll be worth it, I promise:

My picks for this weekend:

Friday: The ARC with Submariner at Rakinos

Saturday: the very entertaining Dictaphone Blues & An Emerald City at Silo Park

Sunday is a tough decision, both these shows are going to be excellent:
The long awaited / much anticipated Cool Rainbows ‘Whale Rocket’ album release at Wine Cellar.

Southern Fried Sundays, featuring Alaska, Lisa Crawley & the Conversations and Tattletale Saints.

New Zealand Music Month is here

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It’s May again, the month we dedicate to celebrating the successes of homegrown music! And as usual, there are a lot of amazing events happening around town, here are some highlights (click on the blue words to follow the links!):

The Whiskey has a huge series of gigs, including Andrew Keoghan, Anika Moa, Avalanche City, Bic Runga, Che Fu, Clap Clap Riot, Dave Dobbyn, Don McGlashan, Greg Fleming & The Trains, Greg Johnson, Hello Sailor, Motocade, Nairobi Trio, Nathan Haines, The Peter Urlich Sextet, Ruby Frost, and The Jordan Luck Band.

And on the classical side, the University of Auckland Music Theatre have a number of performances and seminars with important figures like Nick Bollinger, many of which are free!

In the Libraries we have a great variety of concerts, seminars and workshops, kicked off by the APO Young Achievers Concert which includes the premiere of a new composition by Callum Blackmore, inspired by the Auckland Art Gallery’s Warren Viscoe artwork.

Towards the end of the month, we will reflect on Auckland music’s recent past and future at High Frequency! This free panel discussion with local music luminaries, including Dave Parker, Gareth Shute, and members of Street Chant will be a fun night of stories, memories, hopes and thoughts on where Auckland independent music is headed. The talk will be followed by refreshments and a performance by Lisa Crawley.

Be sure to check our page for more details on what’s on! Book yourself into a ukulele class, come in to Central Library on your Thursday lunch break to hear some beautiful music, or see the amazing array of local artists in the community libraries around town.

Auckland Libraries NZ Music Month.

More info on NZ Music Month here.

Laneways Here We Come

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The 2011 Laneways Festival line-up was just announced.  Being held on Auckland Anniversary Day (31 January 2011) at the re-christened Aotea Square, this year's announced line-up are: Yeasayer - Foals -Ladyhawke - !!! (CHK CHK CHK) - Deerhunter - Blonde Redhead -Children's Hour - Warpaint - Beach House - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti- Lawrence Arabia - Holy F*** - An Emerald City.
Acts I'm looking forward to seeing:
This an indie heavyweight line-up for sure, but it does omit lots of great artists that are on the Australian leg of the tour.  Why couldn't Auckland get the insanely amazing Les Savy Fav,  Los Angeles upstarts Local Natives, skewed popsters Menomena, and the cutesy duo of Jenny and Johnny?  Yes, I'll end up going and will probably enjoy myself in the sun(fingers crossed) and sonics of Aotea Square. Although one has to ask, when does Auckland begin to not get the short end of the stick when it comes to Laneways?  Just saying.
 ~Jerome

Big Day Out: First Announcement!

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One of the most important signs of Spring, along with lambs and blossoms, is the first Big Day Out lineup announcement. And man it is a big one!  Tool, Rammstein, Deftones, Iggy and the Stooges, The Black Keys, MIA, LCD Soundsystem, Lupe Fiasco, Grinderman, Andrew WK, Primal Scream, Crystal Castles CSS, Birds of Tokyo, Airbourne, Plan B, Ratatat, John Butler Trio, Wolfmother, Jim Jones Revue, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77, Booka Shade, Die Antwoord and Vitalic.

Joining this international colossal contingent are a bunch of NZ youngbloods and heavyweights: Shihad, The Naked and Famous, Six60, I Am Giant, Kids of 88, Die!Die!Die!, Bulletproof and Street Chant. If you have read earlier posts you will know about the success of some of these bands at the APRA Silver Scroll Awards.

With Tool, Rammstein, Deftones, and Airbourne covering the main corners of Metal, it's going to be a loud day. But if you're not going to wear a black t-shirt, there's still plenty to choose from. A perfect day of dancing would involve the psychedelic MIA, punk-funkers LCD Soundsystem, sexy CSS with some Ratatat on the side, and of course, Lupe Fiasco.

As usual with BDO, there are quite a few happy returners, like John Butler Trio, who I'm sure will put many in that summer mood. My pick of the day is Grinderman: a reanimated Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, who will definitely rock your face off should you have the courage to get to their front row. I highly suggest you do.

Check out the Catalogue for these artists to prepare for what will be a very fun day. 

~Matthew

NZ Music Month in pictures

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NZ Music Month is over for 2010, so I thought it was time to have a look back at some of our events. If you're anything like me you didn't have time to make it along to everything we had going on. Lucky for us Matthew was on hand throughout the month with a camera. Click the image to enlarge.

New Zealand Music Month - Greg Fleming New Zealand Music Month - Greg Fleming New Zealand Music Month - Tono New Zealand Music Month - Record Club

A massive thanks to everyone who played, and to everyone who came along to listen.

~Ashley

Káren Hunter live at the library

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Karen Hunter. photo care of Karen Hunter.comOn the Saturday 29th May at midday singer songwriter Káren Hunter will perform a solo set at the Central City library.

Káren has been touring round the country this summer to promote her latest album Words & Groove.

Káren has released an incredible eight albums since 1993 and is a prominent figure in the folk/jazz scene in New Zealand. Káren takes song writing workshops and teaches at the University of Auckland on the Popular Music Major of the Bachelor of Music programme where she mentors young performers. Check out the School of Music at the University of Auckland or the Music and Audio Institute of NZ if you're keen to study music. 

This will be the last performance for NZ Music Month at the library, so get down to the library to support New Zealand Music!

Photo Credit http://www.karenhunter.com/

No excuse to stay home

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Great North. There’s plenty coming up throughout the Auckland City Libraries for Music Month. If you like tight, fresh rhythms and harmonies, get to Panmure Community Librarythis Sunday 16 May at 2pm, for Before It Melts, a group of nine Aucklanders who love to sing a cappella. They will perform an eclectic mix of both popular and less well-known numbers to clever new arrangements by Wendy Moore.

If you want to tap your toes to some jazz favourites and Latin dance tunes, make your way to Onehunga Community Library on Saturday 15 May at 11am for trumpet diva Edwina Thorne, an international recording artist with five albums to her credit.

Friday 14 May is all about dusty boots and broken hearts, with Cyril & Friends singing country favourites at Glen Innes Community Library at 11am. Not much later at Central, the city’s latest young talents, Great North will keep your feet dancing and put a tear in your beer. Great North gets started at 4pm.

With all these different performances over the city there are no excuses, people! Get out there and enjoy the music. Check What’s On: NZ Music Month for more and more events.

~Matthew

Lisa Crawley & the Conversations

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Lisa Crawley. Over the last few months she's played the Auckland Town Hall, Aotea Centre, the Zoo and Vector Arena, supporting the likes of Jools Holland & John Mayer. And this Saturday, ladies & gentlemen… Lisa Crawley will be performing a free concert at the Central Library!

With the help of her friends the Conversations, Lisa commands a near-orchestra of instruments, including keys, guitar, drums, bass, glockenspiel, omnichord, recorder, keytar, melodica, trombone, ukulele and pedal steel. But the best thing is the sound of her voice, dancing over the doo-wops of her backing vocalists.

Critics have placed her in many genres, but she continues to defy them. Let's just say she's somewhere between cabaret & country.

Don't miss this unique, free show. Come witness one of our most elegant, amazingly talented artists, buy her EP, and support local music!




Greg Fleming live at the library

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Greg Fleming. New Zealand Music Month 2010 is all about looking back and looking forward. It’s the 10th Birthday! Ten years of spreading the word on our vast musical talent to all corners of the country. And what better way to kick it off at Auckland Central Library than with Greg Fleming, a figurehead of local songwriting for the last 20 years and pioneer of NZ alternative country.

Fleming, with his band The Trains (including members of Straitjacket Fits, Don McGlashan & The Seven Sisters) supported many international artists in the ‘90s, such as Townes Van Zandt, Paul Kelly, Bryan Adams and Heather Nova. And this Saturday 1 May, at 12pm in Auckland Central Library, they will be performing new material from Fleming’s much-anticipated new album. It is going to be a special event for sure.

Check out Greg's MySpace page for more info.

This is the first of many performances held throughout Auckland City Libraries during May. As the month rolls on, we’ll update you with the latest and greatest of happenings around the city. Every Friday (4pm) and Saturday (12pm) at Central Library, there will be FREE! live performances by prominent local musicians, including Artisan Guns, Lisa Crawley, Tono and more. Check out the full events listing  for events at all the Auckland City Libraries, and stay listening!

~ Matthew