The explosion of local music that happened in the 2000s is something we probably won't fully appreciate until we look back at it with a bit more retrospect. Bands stew over releases until they hate them, re-record, break up or fade out and sometimes a short run of compilations is all that's left. While the medium gets a bad rap from major label curated, vaguely themed showcases for their artists and whatever number Now That's What I Call Music is up to, a really great compilation can be as good as any single album. At its best, a compilation can act as a snapshot of a moment, locale or musical scene.

At All Things Musical we thought it was worth revisiting some relatively recent local compilations. One of these is Underground Resistance. Compiled by Joel Pinkham and Matt Barnes (he of the local punk site and messageboard Punkas.com), it's a great cross section of local punk bands circa 2003. As Matt explains, it captures a variety of loosely 'punk' related bands: there's the old school punk vibes of the legendary Missing Teeth, the melodic sound of Dunedin stalwarts Ritalin, an early Bleeders track, The Rabble before they become hilarious and the spazzy post-hardcore of This Night Creeps.

Here's Matt answering a few questions about Underground Resistance, and if your interest is piqued, it's well worth scouring the second hand bin at Real Groovy for it, or borrowing Auckland Libraries' copy of it here.


Listening back to this compilation, what do you like about it?
I like the consistency of the compilation. A lot of tracks were hand-picked, but there were a few where it was the band that was chosen and they submitted a track of their choice. And yet, I think it holds up pretty well. It feels like a good cross-section of stuff that was going on at the time.

Compilations document a certain musical moment. Can you paint a picture for me - what was happening in music at that time? And what did you want to preserve from that time?New Zealand music has always been influenced by overseas movements and I don't think punk is any different. So, while the US saw a boom in the mid- to late-90s in the genre, it was more like the late-90s and early-00s here. More by accident than by design, Underground Resistance came out pretty much at the peak of that, before the likes of post-hardcore and metalcore and the like replaced punk and pop-punk in popularity in this country.

Can you tell us about the moment when you decided this was something worth doing, and what was your initial concept for the compilation?
Actually, it was Joel Pinkham's idea. He was a young guy in a band who liked also booking shows for other bands and just really wanted to help the scene out. He'd never put out a CD before and so came to me and I was also able to get to a lot more bands through my web site at PunkAs.com. It came together really very quickly - but even then, punk being punk, a couple of bands still managed to break up before the CD actually got out there!

What did these artists have in common that made them belong on a compilation together?
They were loosely 'punk' related bands that I or Joel liked. There really was no more thinking behind it than that. I did want to try to cover a bit of geographic ground, I didn't want it to be just say an Auckland/Wellington compilation. But that was really the only deliberate choice in there.

Did it seem to springboard anything for any of the artists involved?
I have no idea, but I doubt it. It sold pretty well, though, so maybe the bands had an extra few people at shows? I wouldn't know.

Tell us about your favourite track on the compilation...
Ah, that's tough. I love Missing Teeth, and their shout-along Brydon Utd was always one of their best. Same with Wellington band Dirk Drent and their wah-heavy Tailbone Terror. But possibly my favourite was My Two Cents' track Memories. They were unusual in that they had broken up while we were putting the compilation together, but we made an exception to put them on there - in fact, there is also a track (find the mp3 here courtesy of 1157 Records) on there by the band they formed subsequently, This Night Creeps.

Not counting this one - what's your favourite compilation?
I liked the two Puppykiller Records compilations - Pick of the Litter 1 & 2. They were very much Auckland-oriented, but there was lots of great stuff on those and they were much more focused in terms of sound.

Is there anything else interesting that you can tell me about the compilation and its creation?
It was really simple to get together. We had a couple of release shows and that was about it for promotion, but it sold out within a couple of months - possibly because we sold it pretty much at cost. I think it was nominated for a couple of awards, too? (Underground Resistance was nominated for Compilation of the Year at the 2004 bNet Awards)

Who did the artwork?
The artwork was by me, riffing on the logo from the Japanese movie Battle Royale, which has as its central conceit a Government initiative to repress youth rebellion by having the kill each other. There's something in that metaphor and punk rock that appealed to me. The liner notes were then loaded with a million in-jokes from the PunkAs web site forums.

Tell me about the first compilation you ever owned? Mine was The Rhythm Volume 16 (I think?) and I wish I still had it.  
I never really bought compilations growing up. I do remember getting one called Faster & Louder: Hardcore Punk Volume 1 and I'm pretty sure there was never a Volume 2. It had so many great bands on there like Mission of Burma and Bad Brains, plus one of my all-time favourite songs in Dead Kennedys' Holiday in Cambodia. I thrashed it to death and got so used to that version that I was thrown when I finally got the Dead Kennedys album it's off (Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables) and found it was a slightly different arrangement.

Amazing Auckland party band Spring Break have released a new video for their song I Am Me. Comprised for the Ruby Suns' Ryan McPhun and the Sneaks' James Dansey, the song actually borrows (or vice versa) lyrics and a melody from a recent Ruby Suns track - Desert of Pop (off their album Christopher). But where that song is a bit of a slow burner about falling in love with Swedish pop singer Robyn, I Am Me turns the lyric on its head and makes it about falling in love every time you look in the mirror. Appropriately it sees the duo trading Prince-influenced vocals over a stupidly big beat and some pretty spectacular retro footage of an American beach party.

Ryan McPhun's other band the Ruby Suns are on tour this April and you can buy tickets here from Under The Radar.

12th April: Puppies, Wellington
18th April: Kings Arms, Auckland
26th April: Darkroom, Christchurch - FREE
27th April: Chicks Hotel, Dunedin

With the independent music world mourning the death of alt-country heartbreaker Jason Molina, Magnolia Electric Company is streaming his very extensive catalog on their bandcamp.

His record label Secretly Canadian had this to say:
　

"We are deeply saddened to announce that Jason Andrew Molina passed away in his home in Indianapolis this past Saturday, March 16th of natural causes at age 39. Jason was a world class musician, songwriter & recording artist. He was also a beloved friend. He first caught international attention in 1996 when he began releasing albums under the name Songs: Ohia. In 2003 he started the band Magnolia Electric Co. Between those two bands he released over a dozen critically-acclaimed albums and — starting in 1997 — he toured the world every year until he had to stop in 2009 to deal with severe alcoholism. Jason was incredibly humbled by his fans’ support through the years and said that the two most important words he could ever say are 'Thank you.'

This is especially hard for us to share. Jason is the cornerstone of Secretly Canadian. Without him there would be no us — plain and simple. His singular, stirring body of work is the foundation upon which all else has been constructed. After hearing and falling in love with the mysterious voice on his debut single "Soul" in early 1996, we approached him about releasing a single on our newly formed label. For some reason he said yes. We drove from Indiana to New York to meet him in person and he handed us what would become the first of many JMo master tapes. And with the Songs: Ohia One Pronunciation of Glory 7" we were given a voice as a label. The subsequent self-titled debut was often referred to by fans as The Black Album. Each Songs: Ohia album to follow proved a new, haunting thesis statement from a prodigal songwriter whose voice and soul burned far beyond that of the average twenty-something. There was organ-laced, sepia-toned econimica (1998’s Impala) and charred-hearted, free form balladry (1999’s Axxess and Ace). There were the dark glacial make-out epics of 2000’s The Lioness and the jungle incantations of 2000’s Ghost Tropic. There was the career-defining agnostic’s gospel of 2002’s Didn’t It Rain, an album about setting roots that also seemed to offer solace to a world that had recently seen its bar on terror raised. It was followed in 2003 by a thrilling about-face, the instant classic Magnolia Electric Co., which took Jason’s songwriting to ’70s classic rock heights. The move was such a powerful moment for Molina that Magnolia Electric Co. became the new moniker under which would perform until 2009. With Magnolia Electric Co., Jason found a brotherhood in his bandmates, with whom he built an incredible live experience and made a truly classic album in Josephine (2009).

We’re going to miss Jason. He was generous. He was a one of a kind. And he had a voice unlike any other."

Fans can contribute to Jason’s medical fund as a memorial gift by sending money via PayPal

Carrying on the great tradition of Real Groove's (RIP) yearly compilation of the best and most exciting new acts in New Zealand - one of our favourite blogs The Corner has announced plans for the latest installment of Awesome Feeling. Over the years Awesome Feeling has introduced new artists to the wider consciousness. It first started dispensing its awesomeness on the cover of Real Groove in 2007, and its early volumes collected tracks from such artists as Cut Off Your Hands, So So Modern, Collapsing Cities, The Naked and Famous, Princess Chelsea and Street Chant (then called Mean Street). Here's the guff straight from The Corner:

Similar to how we’ve done things for the previous two years, we want you to submit your song for consideration – you can do that via our dropbox on Soundcloud or by emailing us at editor@thecorner.co.nz. It’ll help if you have some bio information, a press shot, links to Facebook/Twitter/Soundcloud/Bandcamp etc, but it’s not essential either – we’ll still listen to everything that comes our way. Tracks should be submitted as an mp3 at 320kbps. We’ll be revealing one new artist/track every weekday throughout May, and posting the entire compilation for download at the end of the month. Submissions close on Friday April 5 2013.

Check out the last two installments, free to download at the following links.
Download: Awesome Feeling 5
Download: Awesome Feeling 6



Has it really been that long? The much-loved celebration of all things Pacific culture is back for its 21st year since its 1992 inception. In great news for those of us that happen to be stuck at work on Saturdays, this year the festival has expanded to run over two days. Looking forward to wandering Western Springs drinking out of a coconut in the sun this weekend!

Saturday, 9th March 10am to 5pm Pasifika Festival

Sunday, 10th March 9am to 10am Pasifika Festival Church Service

Sunday, 10th March 10am to 4pm Pasifika Festival

http://www.aucklandnz.com/pasifika

"This is the first I'd heard of Freegal -- as I said, I'm not its market. But it seems to me that this service needs to be considered as more than just a line item to be crossed out -- especially if there is no plan for anything to replace it."

Freegal is a legal mp3 downloading service which Auckland Libraries has been paying to subscribe to. It contains songs from the Sony catalogue from which members of the library are able to download up to three DRM-free mp3s a week.

Freegal has had its champions and detractors since its launch as a library service, with Sarah Houghton's Librarian In Black blog an interesting read for its objections and the array of views in its comments section.

What do you think? Should libraries provide some sort of legal music download service? What would you hope to see crop up in Freegal's place one day? How do you get your music? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

We'll send you out with a more recent example of Taiko drumming, check out 0.55 to hear Kanye West using Taiko on his 2008 single Love Lockdown.

With Laneway Festival almost upon us, hopefully you're well prepared for Monday at Silo Park. Having listened to everything on the lineup, you've decided on a course of action for the worst of the timetable clashes, stocked up on sunscreen and you're now contemplating buying a watermelon. But if you're anything like me then you may be yet to purchase a ticket, you haven't spent any quality time with anyone's albums and you're too broke to buy a watermelon.

So whether you're going and want to get more fully acquainted with the music before or after the festival, or you're missing out and just want the next best thing, Auckland Libraries has much of the lineup on CD available for members to borrow for just $2.20  for a fortnight. Click through the links below to see which of these albums are presently available for loan, and if you're not yet a member, just head here to sign up.

A Place to Bury Strangers – Worship 
Alt-J – An Awesome Wave
Bailterspace – various albums
Bat for Lashes – Fur and Gold 
Cloud Nothings – S/T 
Divine Fits – a Thing Called Divine Fits 
Flume – self-titled
Japandroids – Celebration Rock
Jessie Ware - Devotion 
Lawrence Arabia - The Sparrow
Of Monsters and Men - My Head is an Animal
Phelps and Munro - Slowpoke
Polica - Give You the Ghost
Real Estate - Days 
Street Chant - Means 
Tame Impala - Lonerism
The Eversons - Summer Feeling
Phoenix Foundation - Buffalo
Yeasayer - Fragrant World

Dave Brubeck was considered to be one of the foremost exponents of progressive jazz and tributes to this much loved jazz icon have been flowing in since the announcement of his death earlier this month.

His musical background is fascinating because he was classically trained. He studied composition under French composer Darius Milhaud  who was instrumental in convincing Brubeck to persist with his natural inclination towards jazz. Milhaud was convinced that every true composer expressed the culture from which he came, and that jazz was the folk idiom of America. There happened to be several jazz musicians among Milhaud’s students who, together with Brubeck, formed a band to play their own compositions.

Best known for famous piece "Take 5", Brubeck wrote a number of jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". It wasn't until the disbanding of his own quartet in 1967 that he had time to broaden his output and compose longer, extended orchestral and choral works and also went on to write some sound tracks for television.

Brubeck did not give up playing jazz, and even led a series of bands in later years. The first of these featured the famous baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan. Between 1987 and 2005 he led another very successful quartet including the virtuoso saxophonist and flautist Bobby Militello and, for a while, the British bassist Alec Dankworth. At other times, his groups have included some or all of his sons – Darius, Chris, Danny and Matthew Brubeck.

Dave Brubeck received many honours, medals and honorary degrees. He performed at the White House on numerous occasions and, with his wife, endowed the Brubeck Institute at the College (now University) of the Pacific
He will be sadly missed but his music will live on ....


Check out some of Auckland libraries holdings of Dave Brubeck CDs and sheet music and also the Naxos Jazz database through the Digital Library

Welcome to our new and improved All things Musical blog. We hope that this will be an informative and entertaining blog site that you will feel free to engage with. We would love to hear your thoughts, views and opinions about All things musical.

This time of the year can be rather hectic can't it, especially for us musicians! So why not take the time to chill out over the holidays and explore some new music or listen to some of the old favs.
Here is one Christmas track from the jazz band Yellow Jackets that I really love. Merry Christmas everyone!

I once sat next to a friend as he looked through a recently published history of the local rock scene. From time to time he shook his head. Eventually he sighed deeply and muttered, "The amount of times I could insert the word heroin into this thing." He had a point. There is a tendency in local publications to sanitize the reality of the local music scene.

It is not just the recreational habits of musicians that this applies to. Band politics and creative differences also receive a back seat. Too little attention is paid to personality and circumstance, the character traits that make for great performances and fantastic music, are sidelined.

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