| All things musical

Read- The best in new and upcoming music books

The news has finally arrived that Roger Shepherd has finished his book on Flying Nun - In Love With These Times - and it is scheduled for release through Harper Collins at the end of next month (no doubt timed to coincide with NZ Music Month). This is a long awaited arrival since there has never been a complete account of how Shepherd's little label from Christchurch managed to achieve a cult following across the UK and US during the late eighties and early nineties, leading to dozens of drooling reviews in the pages of NME.

The closest we've come to a firsthand account so far was given by Matthew Bannister in his book, Positively George Street, though his scope focused around his own band (Sneaky Feelings) rather than encompassing the wider Flying Nun ouvre. Though if you're interested in the very early years of the label, then there's some great material in Have you checked the children by Wade Churton. It's packed with great anecdotes and quotes from the local seventies punk scene and the indie acts that followed soon after. However, be warned - it's a very lo-res production and the book takes the annoying approach of dividing events strictly by year, so just as the story of one band gets going, it has to abandon it for forty pages to fill out everything else that happened at the same time.

If you looking for some more recent books on music to read while you wait for Shepherd's book to come out, then I'd recommend checking out How bizarre by Simon Grigg. You'd think that a story about an artist with only one hit song would not provide much opportunity for a whole book, but this work provides an amazing picture of how the worldwide music industry works and the clash of cultures that happens when a young man from South Auckland finds himself in the midst of it all, feeling like he can trust no one and, as a result, lashing out at those around him at the most inopportune moments.

Last year also saw the release of two fascinating autobiographies by highly-respected musicians. Elvis Costello has a lot of ground to cover in his career which spans back to the seventies, but his book (Unfaithful music and disappearing ink) remains poetic and vital throughout its 674 pages. Equally fascinating, but considerably shorter is Carrie Brownstein's Hunger makes me A modern girl, which charts her path to success in riot-grrl act Sleater Kinney and then her second life as an actress (in TV show, Transparent) and comedian (in Portlandia).

It's also worth mentioning a few new music books that have been added to our catalogue as eBooks. First on my list is Your song changed my life, which has NPR music host Bob Boilen questioning a wide range of contemporary musicians on the song that had the strongest effect on them personally - his subjects include Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Jónsi (Sigur Rós), Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Cat Power, David Byrne (Talking Heads), Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), and the afore-mentioned Carrie Brownstein (Portlandia, Sleater-Kinney). Alternatively, if you have kids that you'd like to foist some edgy music upon, then I'd recommend the picture book, What is Punk? (also available in a print version).

If you've enjoyed any recent music books yourself, then do leave a comment below. There's always a little more room to add more books to the pile beside my bed...

Listen: Here’s to future twins – a past autumn play at Western Springs.

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At the weekend, as I stuttered past a fast filling stadium, aka Western Springs, upon Auckland’s public transport finest, I reminisced about the many acts that I had attended at this part time outdoor venue. U2, REM, Mc Cartney and more fill the faded lines of a well-worn and often mislaid notebook, but one great gig that had me toe tapping all the way to Albert Street.

Thirty years ago, 1986 to be exact, a British pop group with real Kiwi connections, in the form of local lass Allanah Currie, sat proud in our top 5 album charts with the platinum platter, ‘Here’s to Future Days’.

The Thompson Twins were (and still kind of are – having recently hit the road again), an 80’s hit machine. Taking their name from those famous Tin Tin comics and made up a cool collage of sound, the Twins blended a mixed bag of sound splices, everything from Caribbean percussion to soft, sultry strings with irresistibly catchy choruses.

Back in 1986, after a previously rained off attempt at an Auckland outdoor show two weeks earlier, the Twins were set to mop up the soggy stage to an extremely eager local crowd. I was a pimply pop fan of 15, with badges and white Reeboks, all set to kick off my stadium pop experience.

By today’s standards the vast green field was laid quite sparse with just proud of 12,000 stone washed diehard fans, here to pop their 80’s cherries. These were the days of deck chairs and blankets, picnics at the pop concert. One of the things I recall as a super surprised pubescent fan boy was the pre-show cut up session from third member Joe Leeway. Often recognized for his high falsetto backing vocals, Leeway lead a 60 minute mash up of dub, funk and cinematic club tunes that pre-dated the superstar DJ by about a decade.

The ultra-clever Tom Bailey delivered a signature performance, with shout outs, re-rubs and raucous renditions of all their hits and I loved the fragrant odour of cabbage, chips and cheap cologne.

Live concerts and the outdoor up, close (as you can get) and personal is a timeless treat that I will long continue to enjoy. I keep the ticket butts, buy the badges and tee shirts and spend café time recalling the concerts from days gone by. Living in Point Chevalier I could hear the heaving heartbeat of Western Springs on Saturday as a whole new generation pushed the fences at the first Auckland City Limits music festival. And so the experience continues. Here’s to future days!

Curious for some nostalgic niceness? Then check out the Thompson Twins. Also try Tom Bailey’s side project International Observer for a variation on his original sounds.

Dave Tucker

Listen: WOMAD 2016 Artists

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Taranaki once again plays host to WOMAD from 18 - 20 March this year. We know a lot of Aucklanders make the trip down for this unique music festival, so thought it would be worth recommending some acts that we're particularly excited to see.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

This South African vocal ensemble first became famous in the 1980s playing on Paul Simon's Graceland album. They've released over a dozen albums since (including the remarkable No Boundaries with the English Chamber Orchestra), but for many this will remain their signature song:

Songhoy Blues

The landlocked areas of West Africa have become famous for gritty, spiraling style of guitar playing and each year WOMAD seems to uncover a new group with a fresh take on this style. This year the slot is taken by Songhoy Blues from Timbuktu (Mali). The core members of this group were forced to relocate to the Southern capital of Bambako when a jihadist group took over the north of the country and imposed strict sharia law (which included banning cigarettes, alcohol and music). Their newly formed group soon gained an international following and their debut album, Music In Exile, was recorded by Nick Zinner (from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs). The video below might induce motion sickness in a few viewers, but just hide the visuals if necessary and have a listen because it's a great example of the great music that's been coming out of that area of the world over the last couple of decades.

Edmar Castañeda

Castañeda's music might sound like a groove-based Colombian take on jazz, but if you actually see how he's creating the sound then you'll be amazed. What sounds like bass and acoustic guitar on first listen is actually just him playing a harp on his own. Even if this isn't your type of music then the musicianship on display needs to be seen to be believed.

Calexico

For the last twenty years, Calexico have been creating their own, distinct Tex-Mex sound. Their latest album, Edge of the sun, was seen by many as a return to their best, with rave reviews from Pitchfork, Q Magazine and Uncut. Here's a track of the album that shows that the influence of Mexican horns and rhythms still provides the heart of their music:

Also...

The artists above are just some of the fine acts appearing this year and the overseas line-up also includes: Fela Kuti's son, Seun Kuti, bringing some Afro-funk; De La Soul sparking up the dancefloor with their catchy hip hop sound; and St Germain providing some great live jazz instrumentation over smoothly programmed beats.

I'd also recommend the combined set by Tiny Ruins and Bic Runga, during which they do versions of songs by Fleetwood Mac ("Dreams"), Simon and Garfunkel ("So Long Frank Lloyd Wright"), Yoko Ono ("Nobody Loves You Like I Do"), Love ("Andmoreagain"), and Donovan ("Wear Your Love Like Heaven"). Amazing to hear two of New Zealand's strongest female voices come together in beautiful harmony, especially when their taste in covers is so intriguing. And if that's not enough local talent, then you also have the chance to see soulful country singer, Tami Neilson, and an amazing new piece ("No Man's Land") by one of our finest contemporary composers, John Psathas.

Auckland Libraries also has the 2016 WOMAD compilation on order and you can check out the full list of artists over at the WOMAD website.

If you want to investigate the line-up further then check out the preview piecs by Trevor Reekie and Grant Smithies on Radio New Zealand or the great coverage by Graham Reid's website, Elsewhere.

Pulsing – Early excursions into local Eighties Electronica.

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Well before smiley faced whistle blowing club goers were, ‘right on one matey’ and losing themselves in ecstatic bliss on UK dance floors, local Kiwi creators were twiddling knobs and injecting their own brand of synthesised soul into the club scene and national sales charts.

Post punk, studio fused tracks took the raw elements of an anti-establishment mentality whilst embracing new technologies such as sampling keyboards and funky frequencies, to redefine the sounds and styles of what we were used to hearing on our turntables.

From as early as 1979, Mi-Sex, a neo-new wave collective, combined cutting edge studio production with a dynamic live show to expand and explode this new electronic/guitar noise on our unsuspecting eardrums. Led by enigmatic Steve Gilpin as lead vocalist, Mi-Sex scorched the charts with sonic singles ‘People’ and ‘Computer Games’. The later timeless classic rammed a repetitive keyboard loop into the mainstream, full of attitude with a brainwashing beat to hypnotise and exorcise our living rooms.

Another epic slab of energetic experimental ism came in the form of Body Electric, a loose studio based band of post punk pioneers emerging from the ashes of Wellington’s punk and proud The Steroids. Steered by the clever hands of Alan Jansson (yes, he of ‘How Bizarre’ fame), Body Electric tinkled with the idea of aural anarchy via the airwaves of the burgeoning student radio network. 1982 saw their local launch of ‘Pulsing’, an extended mix of chaotic frequencies, which took on the mighty Sheffield synth gods Human League, taking a place on our national charts after nearly 3 months of slow building airplay support. To this day ‘Pulsing’, is highly unique, in that it sounds like a techno time capsule from the future, beat-box blades scraping a mashed up melody from scraps of psychotic ranting, hypnotic, harmful and yet fully immersive.

At this time Split Enz were crafting a less manic mindset and New Zealand culture and sounds were calming down from banging heads and piercing punk provocativeness to a financially fused production experience. Often behind closed doors in well stocked studios, overseas inspiration was flooding into our creative process, with Kraftwerk and Public Image Limited paying a prominent part in shaping our future sounds.

Check out some Mi-Sex and see how it stacks up with today's sound or delve into the equally excellent compilation It's Bigger than the Both of us, both well worth a re-visit.
Alternatively, for an equally excellent excursion slap on the Hallelujah Picassos, or the dreamy dubbed out bliss of Pitch Black, proud examples of what a well stocked studio can deliver.

Dave Tucker

Review: A new place 2 drown- Archy Marshall

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A late entry to the 2015 album list, the young and talented 20 year old Archy Marshall (better known as 'King Krule' or 'Zoo Kid')'s latest digital album "A new place 2 drown", may have just made it as one of the better ones of the year. Indeed it is one to have on repeat if you're an indie/blues/jazz fan who likes to dabble into other genres such as the realms of trip-hop or electronica.

This album is deep, meaningful and has been a long time coming! Little has been heard from Marshall since the release of his first single in 2010 other than his fantastic album "6 feet beneath the Moon" (well worth a listen). Throughout this time, Marshall has treated his music as loose change, producing one track here and there with a spattering of different genres from Hip-hop through to Jazz. Whilst his first album was dominated by crooning, deep vocals, with punchy and complex guitar progressions, "A new place 2 drown" shifts from dramatically from this style. Ratherhis latest work dissolves and drifts through 37 minutes of dreamlike elemental beats. Marshall truly reaches his top standards presenting a variety of moods, textures and tracks of pure creativity which simply has to be heard to be believed.

Listen: Laneway 2016 Artists

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The Laneway Festival is coming up on 1 February, so here's a few picks on who to see (or, if you're not going, then it's also a nice way to discover some new acts).

It's tempting to start with Courtney Barnett, since she took over the main stage last year with her grab-you-by-the-throat heavy rock live sound - somewhat surprising since she's more known on record for her witty lyrics. However, we just sang her praises a few posts ago, so let's go to the opposite end of the noise spectrum and instead start with one of our own emerging female musicians, Nadia Reid ...

Nadia Reid's latest album, Listen to formation, look for the signs, received a 7.2 rating on music-nerd website Pitchfork and she will no doubt provide a wonderful afternoon respite from the noisier bands at Laneway, especially for those who are fans of Aldous Harding and Tiny Ruins.

Let's keep it local with our next pick, the solo project of Kody Neilson (former singer of The Mint Chicks and colloborator/partner with Bic Runga). His live show features a DJ with a large robotic head and Kody isn't shy of performing (when he played in the sedate surroundings of Newsworthy, he still got up on the presenter's table and danced in their faces). This is the first single of his album, Personal computer:

Moving on to the overseas acts, it's hard to go past Beach House, who shocked many fans last year by releasing two albums quickly on the heels of one another - Depression Cherry and Thank your lucky stars. Most of it is fairly mid-tempo, but they're bound to sound huge on the main stage - hopefully as the day cools and the sun begins to set. This song will make it seem like the whole festival is taking place within a David Lynch movie...

Now let's pick up the pace a bit with DIIV, whose sound manages to take the shoegaze approach of My Bloody Valentine and Ride, but crank up the tempo a little bit. Their first album, Oshin, was their breakthrough release and here's the lead single off it:

You'd think from the above acts that Laneway is just all about indie rock, though this year there's some big hitters from the hip hop world as well - Vince Staples and The Internet. Though for many the biggest drawcard will be the odd pop music of Grimes, who injected some art school experimentation into her last release, Art Angels. Since she'll probably close out the night at Laneway, it seems only right to let her have the last word here as well:

Review – Home grown hits and Local Likes of 2015

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The year that was is so often the perfect vantage point, from which to name check the most liked locals from our insatiable app-etite for all things digital. From the countless dozens of ditties streamed around our islands to the decent downpour of downloads snapped on to our many devices, Kiwi culture shone bright in 2015, for all to see and hear.Following in the well- travelled footsteps of the Kiwi road-trip came the ‘oh so’ photographable Marlon Williams. Proving that simply getting out there and performing is still the best way to engage with the people, Marlon toured the country, garnering all the cool kids and hipster parents with his sultry slant on bluesy acoustic surfside soul.

He also wooed the industry by taking out both the ‘best male solo artist’ and ‘breakthrough artist of the year’.

Also, nurturing a nostalgic nod to sixties retro rock, Tami Neilson built on her loyal fan-base with a simply irresistible second release entitled ‘Don’t be Afraid’. Sitting somewhere between the smoky late night jazz of Amy Winehouse and jangly jailhouse rock, Tami touches bad guy ballads with a tattooed heart. Again, a must see live, up close and personal with your besties at the Tuning Fork.

Other notable mentions that caught my own attention were the super successful hit machine that is Six60, with more hits than Brendan Mccullum, they got snapped up by an international label whilst popping up everywhere from the big gigs to the All Blacks dressing room.Ones to watch in the New Year include the lyrically blessed dirty ole Diaz Grimm, Rei and Sneakers. In a digitally connected sound sharing universe, NZ beats are banging the bass bins of international head-nodders, enjoying the same stage with two island seasoned sounds. Oh my Lorde, what a perfect pacific place to be!

Review - 'Nuits de la Foundation Maeght 1970' by Albert Ayler

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I discovered the existence of the Albert Ayler album 'Nuits De La Foundation Maeght 1970 ' when I saw a Youtube link with no accompanying text turn up on my twitter feed, as posted by John Darnielle of indie folk band 'The Mountain Goats' (whose presence on the internet is often as compelling as the music he makes). I clicked on the mystery link and was taken to an Albert Ayler song called “Music is the Healing Force of the Universe.” Noting the title, it seemed no coincidence this song had been shared only a few days after the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, especially given it turned out to be a live performance recorded in France.

As I listened to Ayler’s playing, his horn so full of yearning and love at the same time, so full of agitation and pro-active energy, the song did indeed seem to perfectly embody its title. It’s a transporting psychedelic pill which, as its lyrics spell out with unabashed frankness, aims to lead the listener towards an internal sea change for the better.

Review- Picking favourites from the award winners of 2015

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Given that it's almost the end of the year, it seems like a good time to have a quick scan over the various award winners of the year and pick out some of the best.

Front of mind is the New Zealand Music Awards which took place recently. The Stuff website has a full list of winners, but rather than give more breath to the big winners (e.g., Broods), let's dig a bit further down the list.

First up, the Critic's Award winners, Bespin. The band are named after the cloud city on 'The Empire Strikes Back' and the group's dreamlike, psychedelic sound fits the name perfectly...

Marlon Williams was the winner of Best Male Solo Artist and Breakthrough Artist of the Year, as well as being in the shortlist for the Silver Scroll Awards (as well as being a nominee for "Best Blues and Roots Album" at the ARIA awards in Australia). His self-titled debut album is firmly based in the folk music, but the songwriting is strong enough to breath some new life into this tradition and the album was recorded by Lyttelton music scene stalwart, Ben Edwards.

Here's a creepy little tune he wrote about a man living in a house that seems to be filled with ghosts ever since his wife died. The video also features Williams's girlfriend, Aldous Harding, and they seem to just be a pair of hobos fooling around until the final twist...

The act that beat Williams at the Silver Scroll Awards was Unknown Mortal Orchestra, who recently released their third album. The outfit is led by Reuben Neilson from the Mint Chicks, though the recording also features his brother (Kody, who now plays as Silicon). The awards was given to UMO's tune, "Multi-Love", but I have to admit a preference for their tune "Keep Checking My Phone" and this live version (on Conan O'Brien) sounds great and shows Reuben dropping a nice dance move at the end...

Casting an eye across the Tasman, also shows a few worthy winners emerging from the Australia's ARIA awards. The psychedelic music revival is just as strong over there and Tame Impala has showed he is still ahead of the pack on his second album, Currents, which saw him win "Best Rock Album" and "Album of the Year." Equally deserving was Courtney Barnett who won "Best Breakthrough Artist" for her critically adored album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Sit. This tune about the unaffordability of local real estate should strike a chord with a lot of Aucklanders!

And last but not least, let's look even further northward and check out the winner of the UK's prestigious Mercury Prize, which has the occasional ability to shine a light on a upcoming talent that most of the country hasn't heard of. This year's winner was Benjamin Clementine, who grew up in London but was discovered by a French music label while busking on the streets of Paris. This led to his debut album, At Least For Now, being released back in the UK, though his real breakthrough wasn't until he scored a surprise slot on Later ... with Jools Holland.

Read: NZ Music Awards - 1995: A nod to the way we listened back in the day.

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Emerging from the shaggy sixties Kiwi music scene, the Loxene Gold Disc Awards were the groovy great grandparent of today’s New Zealand Music Awards.

To give a shout out to these often contentious awards, celebrated at Vector Arena in Auckland next week, I delve back in time, rewinding to the local tunes of 1995.

Twenty years ago, Grandmaster Jim Bolger turned up the national sound system, whilst the country swaggered and saluted a tangy tub of local treats. Running up the charts with her headless chooks, Fiona MacDonald tapped the bottle of pop recognition, severing the ties to their alternative cohorts with the ultra-digestible ‘Body Blow’. Also set for cruise control, brat-brass funky fellows Supergroove spun some major “Traction’ with their debut album sounding like a greatest hits of our summer antics.

South Auckland street-sounds blasted the skateboard ramps from Ranui to Raglan, with 3 the Hard Way’s heaving Holden anthem, “Hip Hop Holiday”, sparking many a tinny road trip over the summer months. Rollin ‘In the neighbourhood’, took the Sisters Underground from the Otara markets to the café stretches of Ponsonby proudness, crossing over our separated soundtracks.

Be it rhythm and booze or patriotic Dobbyn loyalty, we Kiwis punch way above our beat belts. We love our music, both local and otherwise. To stand beside our mates, on a girl’s night out or cruising down Dominion Road, we have and have always had a lot to celebrate. Not a lot has changed in that regard, even now, twenty years since 1995.

Listen - 'Carrie & Lowell' by Sufjan Stevens (Asthmatic Kitty 2015)

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The latest Sufjan Stevens album Carrie & Lowell is named after his parents. Well, sort of. To be specific, it’s named after his mother, who left the family when Stevens was 1 year old, and the man she ended up with. Stevens wrote the album after her death, as he struggled to process both her passing, and the internal contradiction of feeling such immense grief at losing someone with whom he’d created so few memories, shared so little time. As he sings on the song All of Me and All of You: “Should we beat this or celebrate it?”

It’s my favourite Sufjan album. Those same delicate, cyclical guitar arpeggios which have been the foundation for so many of his songs are intact, but they’re both darker and, for me at least, more beautiful. Where previous records adorned this foundation with cheerful orchestral arrangements or abrasive electronica, Carrie & Lowell fills out the stereo spectrum with little more than a second acoustic guitar matching the first, as if to keep it company, and obsessively double tracked lead vocals. One feels that Stevens is singing and strumming along with himself because everything would just be too sad, too raw, without the extra ambience of a companion, even if the companion must be his own ghost vocal. The lyrics blend wisps of happy memory with jarring references to emotional dysfunction, self-destruction, and a deep sadness, all rendered beautiful by yearning melodies that never stoop to maudlin.

The first single No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross exemplifies the emotional complexity that can result from relatively unsubtle constituent parts. The singer castigates himself with sarcasm, (“Like a champion, get drunk to get laid,”) implores fate to connect him with his mother in any way possible, (“Drag me to hell in the valley of the damned, like my mother. . .”), imagines some invisible presence conspiring against him (“my assassin like Casper the ghost”), before concluding in the songs title that there is no grace to be found in the struggle to bare life’s burden.

Yet as he passes through these lyrical stations of pain Stevens sings along with himself as sweetly, as angelically, as he ever has, leaving us with the impression that maybe it’s okay to celebrate what you can’t beat. It’s a nice feeling to get from a record.

Simon C.

Watch: The phoenix foundation - Give up your dreams

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Not so long ago Wellington's The Phoenix Foundation released the video for the titular anti-ambition anthem of their 6th album Give Up Your Dreams. Featuring a dirty and desperate Bret McKenzie (one half of The Flight of the Conchords and Oscar and Grammy award winner) digging an endless hole somewhere in the Wellington hills, the video is an Andrei Tarkovsky-inspired existential trip directed by fellow Wellingtonian Loren Taylor. The video is a perfect accompaniment to the meditative mood that we find the Foundation in; reflecting on their existence as a band and their place in the musical landscape as they age.

The track itself is peak Phoenix Foundation, with its wryly observed lyrics, driving rhythms and strong synth-led melodies. Despite a droll voice over intoning maxims such as: "Don't let anyone tell you that you're special" and "Don't anyone say that the world is your oyster" in the bridge, this is a joyous and ultimately uplifting affair. Plus, it never hurts to be reminded that "all that we can do about it is be alright about things and get on with stuff".

Review - 'The Partnership: Brecht, Weill, Three Woman, and Germany on the Brink' by Pamela Katz

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The Partnership is a non-fiction exploration of the creation of The Three-Penny Opera and the tangled personal and professional relationships of Bertolt Brecht, Karl Weill, Lotte Lenya, Helene Weigel and Elisabeth Hauptmann.

"Mack The Knife" from the movie "The Threepenny Opera"

Katz does not seem interested in casting the complicated personalities as heroes or villains but as people with multi-faceted and at times conflicting agendas. It’s a human, considered approach to individuals who are all too easy to damn in retrospect with a contemporary perspective.The final third of the book, which see the disintergration of Brecht and Weills creative relationship against the backdrop of the rise of the Nazis, is particuarly compelling and absorbing.

"Mack The Knife" performed by Dean Martin

For someone not familiar with Brecht and Weills' influence over culture, both past and contemporary, the book opens your eyes to their presence. Sometimes it's the familiar songs that turn out to be derived from their song book, on other occassions it is their effect on other artists sensibilities.

"Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)" performed by The Doors

Tom Waits springs to mind. Waits maintains he was not aware of Kurt Weill until other people started to compare his sound to the composer: "Well, the weird thing about Kurt Weill is that after I made a few records in the '80s, people started to tell me that I was sounding like this guy, or that I must be listening to this guy. So I figured I should probably go out and listen to him, because I'd never heard of him before. I did listen, and then I thought, 'Oh, I hear that.' " There is no reason to doubt Waits but it does make you consider that perhaps Weills' sound is so pervasive that Waits had absorbed it whether he knew it or not.

"What Keeps Mankind Alive" performed by Tom Waits

Weill and Burchts influence is not limited to the world of music. Comics writer and novelist Alan Moore has drawn on The Three Penny Opera for inspiration a number of times over the course of his career and early on produced a newspaper strip under the psdoneum Curt Vile. Anyone who is familiar with Moores career and particuarly his reponse to the overwhelming success of his comic Watchmen will be amused by Brechts similarly mixed feelings about The Three Penny Opera.

"Pirate Jenny" performed by Nina Simone

If The Partnership fails to deliver in any way it is the citical anaylsis of the works, which seems perfunctoary and obvious, and to the attention paid to Hauptmann, Lenya and Weigel. It is not that Katz fails to address their contributions it is that everythings seems to be purely inspired or motivated by Brecht or Weill. While this was underdoubatbly an important part of the interpersonal dynamics it's hard to see three such forceful and determined individuals purely motivated by their devotion to one man. To contrast that aspect to the rest of the book which deal with the complex, symbiotic relationship between Brecht and Weill, two men with very definite personal agendas, the observation seems a little thin.

"Ballard of the Soliders Wife" performed by PJ Harvey

Review- Top 10 e-Books and e-Audiobooks About Music

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The Auckland Libraries eBook and eAudiobook collection has grown massively over the last couple of years, so I thought it'd be a great time to collect together some of the best titles to read or listen to on your device. I've tried to be as wide-ranging as possible so hopefully there's something to suit all tastes.If you need more information on how to access these titles, see our eBooks and eAudiobooks section.

Top 10 Music e-Books

Blue Smoke: The lost dawn of New Zealand popular music 1918-1964
by Chris Bourke

This book is filled with wonderful photographs and tales from the early years of local music. The richness of its coverage saw it win the NZ Post Book of the Year Award in 2011.

Nirvana
by Everett True

A biography of Nirvana written by the music journalist who introduced Kurt to Courtney. Prior to this, True had already written for NME, Melody Maker, and Vox so he brings some writing power to the piece as well. As a result, this book provides a unique insight into the band and it's sudden end.

How to listen to pop music
by Nick Bollinger

Listener readers will already know Bollinger as their long-standing music critic. He's also been a gigging musician since the early 70s and hence has a love of music that comes through on every page of this book. It's part memoir and part meditation on how to get the most out of popular music.

Everyone loves you when you’re dead
by Neil Strauss

This is a wild set of tales from experienced music journalist, Neil Strauss. Over the course of the book, he makes Lady Gaga cry, is kidnapped by Courtney Love, and has a long drinking session with Bruce Springsteen. Strauss takes a high octane approach to his writing, as readers of his Motley Crue biography (The Dirt) will already know.
(Also available in a print version).

The Fallen
by Dave Simpson

Even if you only have a passing interest in The Fall, then you'll probably find this book entertaining. The author tracks down over forty different musicians (and non-musicians!) who've been in-and-out of the band since their inception in the late seventies. Even the most minor members seem to have surprising tale to tell - such as the manager of the Chemical Brothers who was convinced backstage at the Reading Festival to take the place of the band's missing drummer for their set!

How The Beatles rocked the Kremlin
by Leslie Woodhead

The Beatles music slipped into the USSR in the midst of the cold war and proved that there was an exciting culture to be discovered on the other side of the Iron Curtain. This book provides an interesting angle on why The Beatles were important and adds another aspect to their legacy.

How music works.

How music works
by David Byrne

Byrne was the lead singer of quirky rock group, Talking Heads. Yet he's spent the last decade exploring more experimental territory with production guru, Brian Eno, and young indie starlet, St Vincent. His unusual explorations give him a great perspective to write about why humans are so attracted to melody and rhythm. An intriguing read for musicians and music lovers alike.

The importance of music to girls
by Lavinia Greenlaw

This book focuses more on Greenlaw's private journey, rather than making any attempt at music criticism or provide comment on the wider scene. However, her gradual drift from 60s rock to disco to punk does provide a window on how music can influence a person's life and her poetic style of writing adds some heft to the narrative.

Dylan goes electric
by Elijah Wald

The moment that Dylan broke from being simply a folk hero and began experimenting with rock influences is always portrayed as a turning point in his career. This focuses in on this crucial change and brings to life the shock and outrage that it invoked at the time. If the copy linked above happens to be unavailable, then another copy is available from our other eBook service.

31 Songs

by Nick Hornby

Nick Hornby is known for his 'lad-lit' novels about guys coming to terms with the pressures of adulthood, with his most famous novels being About a boy and High Fidelity. However, Hornby is also a music critic for the New Yorker and here he uses as discussion of his favourite songs to wax lyrical on the meaning of music and why some songs retain an important place in our lives, even after we've long since quit listening to them.

Listen - Songs on High Rotate

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As we find ourselves in the midst of a chilly, wet Auckland winter we feel grateful that there is an abundance of great music being released at the moment to keep us buoyant while we wait for warm days ahead.
Here are some songs that are on high-rotate in the All Things Musical office right now-

'Flirt' - Boycrush featuring Yumi Zouma/Madeira

Alistair Deverick aka Auckland producer/singer Boycrush released this gorgeous piece of dance-pop confection a few months ago to international and local acclaim. Featuring vocalist Kim Pflaum - best known for her work in Yum Zouma and now known as Madeira - Flirt is warm and breezy but also thoughtfully constructed under its effortless sheen. Flirt is from Boycrush's 2nd EP 'Girls on Top', available through Bandcamp. Find more on Boycrush here.

'Slow' - Jessie Cassin

Slow is the first offering from Auckland's Jessie Cassin and what a debut release it is! Seductive, sensual and sensitive, Jessie's achingly beautiful voice is paired with woozy beats, swaying strings and thoughtful lyrics. We are looking forward to hearing more from this exciting new talent! Find more on Jessie Cassin here.

'Low Brow' - Chelsea Jade

We have long been fans of Chelsea Jade (formerly known as Watercolours) and her latest single Low Brow only further deepens our love for her. Chelsea is at the height of her vocal power on this track with a compellingly intimate performance, making the listener privy to every quickly drawn breath and sigh. Co-produced with LA-based NZ musician/producer Sam McCarthy (of Strange Babes), this is probably the most pop-oriented offering we've heard from Chelsea and we love it! Find more on Chelsea here.

Written by Anna C

Read- The best in new and upcoming music books

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