Independent Music NZ Newsletter

Independent Music NZ Newsletter

As winter continues we’re seeing more IMNZ artists fleeing to warmer climes – although whether they will find any better weather elsewhere is uncertain.  However the music is what keeps them going, and there is certainly some fine music being produced by the IMNZ whanau both at home and abroad. To find out more, read on…

IMNZ Independent Album Chart

Rank Artist Title Label/Distributor
1 Hollie Smith Long Player Soundsmith
2 Cornerstone Roots Free Yourself Rhythmethod
3 So So Modern Friendly Fires Rhythmethod
4 8 Foot Sativa Poison of Ages Tardus
5 Adi Dick Our Place LOOP/Border
6 Age Pryor Shanks’ Pony Rhythmethod
7 Various LOOP Select 008: Rare Vision LOOP/Border
8 Shapeshifter Soulstice Truetone/Rhythmethod
9 Fat Freddy's Drop Based On A True Story Rhythmethod
10 Lucid 3 Dawn Planes Lupin Music
11 Kora EP Volume Border
12 Katchafire Revival/Slow-Burning Double Pack Mai Music
13 The Sneaks The Sneaks Border
14 Little Bushman The Onus Of Sand Rhythmethod
15 Tama Waipara Leaving Paradise Rhythmethod
16 Various Nuclear Free Nation Handmade/Rhythmethod
17 The Mamaku Project Karekare Rhythmethod
18 Motocade Into the Fall Border
19 Fly My Pretties The Return Of… LOOP/Border
20 Various OE: Brazil LOOP/Border

(Shows sales from 1 – 30 June 2007. Compiled from outbound sales registered at selected music retailers by Media Sauce Ltd. for IMNZ. Eligibility requires IMNZ membership or by registration fee. For further information on IMNZ releases, labels or membership contact IMNZ Operations Manager Renee Jones.)

July News

In September Minuit return to Europe: they’ll perform in the Czech Republic, Finland, Spain, Berlin, France, Ireland and the UK - but before they go, they'll do a national tour so we can say goodbye and good luck to them. These will be some of the only NZ shows since Minuit's appearance at the Big Day Out. The band have been in Australia most of 2007; frontwoman Ruth Carr has been working as a set builder for Baz Luhrmann's new film titled 'Australia'.

So So Modern and Cut Off Your Hands have been touring this month to celebrate record releases (So So Modern’s debut album ‘Friendly Fires’ and Cut Off Your Hands’ EP). These are So So Modern’s last shows in New Zealand for 2007 as they leave for Europe in August - they have shows booked for the rest of the year and are releasing their album in the UK as a series of 7" records on Transgressive Records (Iron and Wine, Foals). Pig Out have played their final New Zealand shows of 2007 before leaving for Europe. This was Pig Out’s 10th tour since forming in February 2006, and James Duncan (Dimmer/SJD/Punches) took on bass duties for the tour. Pig Out's first European date will be the MIDI Festival in the south of France with Animal Collective, Thieves Like Us and Radio Dept. later in July.

Neil Sparkes - producer, poet and painter - first came to NZ in 2003 as part of the WOMAD festival, and now returns to produce the debut album for local Brazilian/hip hop outfit Batucada Sound Machine. Other production/writing partners have included Natasha Atlas, Peter Gabriel, The Last Poets, Linton Kwesi Johnson and Los de Abajo. The album is due for release in NZ in September 2007.

The Brunettes and the Ruby Suns are both touring over the next two months, before heading to Australia, where the Ruby Suns will support the Shins plus play a few of their own shows. The Brunettes’ dates will be album release shows for their new album ‘Structure and Cosmetics’, which was recorded in LA, Portland (with some help from new label mates The Shins), NY and Auckland. Once they’ve done their Australasian stint they’re back to the US to promote the album. The Ruby Suns have just signed a three album deal with Sub Pop Records (for the US and Asia), joining the Brunettes (and fellow Kiwis Flight of the Conchords).

Pitch Black’s fourth studio album 'Rude Mechanicals' is out in New Zealand on August 6 and the rest of the world thereafter. They'll tour New Zealand in August, they're off to Europe, the US and Australia in September, and then back to the US and Japan in late November/ December. Phew! The duo recently licensed tracks for use on CSI: Miami and composed the music for Sony PSP game CUBE; also Paddy Free has been working on his solo album plus soundtracks for local contemporary dancers, and Mike Hodgson has been traveling the world with his multimedia work. They toured Japan for the second time in May.

Scribe’s second album ‘Rhyme Book’ will be released in October, with the first single to radio and TV in mid-August. A sneaky ringtone preview is available from today. Scribe will be previewing tracks from ‘Rhyme Book’ in Australia at club gigs in August.

SJD's fourth and latest album ‘Songs From A Dictaphone’ is already garnering 5 star reviews and journalistic frothings. SJD and band will be taking it to the people with a series of release shows including the 3rd Annual Hope Foundation Spring Summer show at the Hopetoun Alpha in Auckland on August 2nd.

Grand Prix have just released their second album ‘Terraplane Twilight’. They’ve had a line-up reshuffle: Andrew McKenzie and Davey Geard remain, joined by Nato ‘the Force’ Hickey (Paseload, Fly My Pretties) and Adam Ladley (Velvetones, The Bonnie Scarlets); keep an eye out for show dates. Arch Hill Recordings are also releasing Auckland band Surf City's debut self-titled EP on August the 6th. The band formerly known as Kill Surf City have recently altered their name to avoid any confusion with bands using the same name in both the UK and US of A.

The Tweeks have just completed a tour celebrating their debut album ‘You Can Listen Too’, and things have been fairly chaotic for them. In between organising a new music video, booking the next Australian tour, and repairing their broken van they have been writing new material for the next album, which they’re due to start recording in November. Fun times!

Hannah Curwood’s album ‘Sky Above, Horse Below’ is out this month via Global Routes; and Hannah and friend Simon Comber are on the road with The Knock-Knock Tour of the North Island. Global are also releasing Ted Brown’s new single I Bet Myself to iTunes now, and the album follows in late August. Intergalactic’s Slipping Tongue are touring through July and August to promote their debut single/video ‘Bitter’, and they’re touring with US band Jaggedy Ann over late August and early September. The World Battle of the Bands heats and semis-finals are running now and will continue through August and September all over New Zealand.

The aptly tilted ‘Boy Girl Boy’ album is Auckland three piece Goon’s debut full-length release via Border, it follows on from their 2004 ‘3 Piece of Love’ EP – which had two bFM #1’s and a 2005 Handle The Jandal award to its name. LOOP Select 008: Rare Vision - The Exhibition, featuring Guy Pask, Buggy 6, Rebekah Atkins and Flox, runs from August 28 to September 8 at the Satellite Gallery in Newton, Auckland. This is LOOP’s first exhibition from this long running series of film, music and art, and canvases and photography by Select 008 artists will be available for sale.

Rhythm and Vines have announced their initial New Year’s Eve lineup, including members of the IMNZ crew, Concord Dawn, Die! Die! Die!, Jakob, Charlie Ash and Motocade. The first artists have also been announced as part of the lineup for Christchurch’s Southern Amp festival on November 10, and members of the IMNZ whanau include Charlie Ash, The Undercurrents, Heavy Jones, She’ll Be Right Records’ artists and Concord Dawn with MC Tiki. And speaking of Christchurch events, Throwing Shapes is a bit of a supergroup formed for a one off show at the Christchurch Arts Festival; band members include Flip Grater, Matt Barus (Dukes), Tim Chesney, Lauren Mitchell, Jody Lloyd (Trillion) and Adam McGrath. Also, watch out for the new Trillion video Lonely Road.

Carol Storey's live launch of her solo album ‘Mokomoko’ in the weekend featured Dave Maybee (guitar), Horomona Horo (taonga puoro/Maori traditional instruments), Nataalia Lunson and Hemaima Hughes (vocals). Liam Ryan is rehearsing the M2M Band for dates in October; and he’ll be giving a lecture, "Afro American music diaspora and New Zealand Blues and Jazz", for Waikato University at the Bongard Centre, Tauranga, September 18.

Moving Production has licensed Unity Pacific's second album ‘Into the Dread’ to EMI (NZ) for nationwide release on 30th July 2007. dDub are back home from their huge Winter tour (they’ve now played the Queenstown Winter Festival five times!), and 5 dates have just been confirmed for their next Australian tour at the end of August. Joost Langeveld and Chris Van de Geer have also produced a new remix for dDub’s track No Smoke.

Tyson Tyler’s 'Real Name No Gimix' mixtape has sold out, for those who failed to get a copy Breakin’ Wreckwordz are offering a link to the mixtape on their website. Jay Roacher’s album has been picked up by BWW and will be re-released in the next month or so.

Sugarlicks are home to the debut release from legendary New Zealand DJ and producer, Manuel Bundy. Manuel ‘Many Styles’ Bundy has toured the world with OMC, worked with Mark de Clive Lowe on 'Six Degrees', and held club residencies up and down the country, just to name a few accomplishments. 'Manuel Bundy Presents the Solephonic EP' is out on 12" via MDM Berlin (and partners worldwide including JVC Japan, Alive Germany and Groove Distribution in the US), and all main digital platforms worldwide (thanks to Finetunes in Hamburg and Amplifier in NZ); and after only 72 hours in digital circulation, EP track Jazzybizz had reached #1 on respected NYC-based dance site Dancetracks Digital's weekly worldwide picks. The EP features Ladi6, Cherie Mathieson, Isaac Aesili, Tha Feelstyle, Mark de Clive Lowe, Deva Mahal, Jeremy Toy and special guest Kiwi from NYC Finsta Bundy (no relation).

Flip Grater’s label Maiden Records presents a new signing: the new album from Wellington artist Urbantramper, ‘Tokon and The Colours’ is in stores August 1st. And also from Wellington, Rhythmethod is distributing ‘Charmaine Ford, Nick Tipping and Richard Wise: Live At Sandwiches’, from live recordings made last year. The trio has been jamming jazz, acoustic and Latin flavours for over three years at Sandwiches (which was voted NZ’s Nightclub of the Year by Bartender magazine).

Tim Guy will play three showcases with Anika Moa in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in early August. Tim has just finished recording his second album, ‘Hummabyes’, which will be released later in the year. Monkey Records’ boss Nigel Braddock will be heading over to Aussie with Tim to arrange distribution for ‘Hummabyes’ and other Monkey releases.

Mr Sicc featured on TVNZ News on both July 15 and 16, speaking about his gang affiliations in Otara, and his move toward music from street life. His gang - Bad Troublesome Ward - was mentioned briefly in the current TIME magazine cover-story regarding New Zealand street gangs. His new single So In Love is on the radio now, from his new release ‘Home Invasion’. Mr Sicc is currently working on an ‘old school’ mix CD and a collaborative album with Tuface, who recently returned home from prison, as well as his next album ‘Cannibal Music’. Mr Sicc’s European tour starts in August.

Shapeshifter will release ‘Shapeshifter Live’ on 20 August, featuring tracks from their show with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, which was part of their sold out orchestra tour in September 2006. Dukes have had a busy month. They finished a successful tour with The Have, took part in the LA-produced TV series Project Myworld Australia/NZ and will feature their new song Always Forever on a ‘Making of Kath & Kim’ DVD for Australian distribution. Also keep an eye out for the Have’s new video Tell Yourselves It’s Alright.

Whirimako Black went back into the studio in late June to start sessions for her follow-up to last year's successful ‘Soul Sessions’: ‘Soul Sessions 2’ will feature a selection of jazz standards, some in Te Reo, recorded with some of New Zealand's leading musicians.

New and Forthcoming Releases
Batucada Sound Machine album, Ted Brown I Bet Myself, The Brunettes ‘Structure and Cosmetics’, Hannah Curwood ‘Sky Above, Horse Below’, Dead C ‘Future Artists’, The Deadly Deaths ‘The Deadly Deaths’, Adi Dick ‘Our Place’, Ethical ‘Ages Turn’, Evil ‘A True Untimely Atrocity’, Charmaine Ford, Nick Tipping and Richard Wise ‘Live at Sandwiches’, Andy Gibson ‘Behind the I’, Goon ‘Boy Girl Boy’, Grand Prix ‘Terraplane Twilight’, Matthew Holleman EP, Phil Johns ‘Illusion Fades Away’, Lanu ‘This Is My Home’, Lucid 3 ‘Dawn Planes’, Mr Sicc ‘Home Invasion’, The Managers ‘Take It or Leave It’, Pacific Curls ‘Pacific Swing’, Pig Out ‘Club Poems Remastered’, P-Money 'Unreleased Joints & Remixes', Pitch Black ‘Rude Mechanicals’, Ragamuffin Children ‘Werecat Lullabies’, Ruia ’12…24’, Scribe ‘Rhyme Book’, Shapeshifter ‘Shapeshifter Live’, SJD ‘Songs From a Dictaphone’, The Sneaks ‘The Sneaks’, Manuel Bundy presents Solephonic 12”, So So Modern ‘Friendly Fires’, Carol Storey ‘Mokomoko’, Surf City ‘Surf City’ EP, Tourettes ‘Gimmie Five Dollars’, Trillion Lonely Road (video/single), The Tweeks ‘You Can Listen Too’, Tyson Tyler ‘Real Name, No Gimix’, Adam Paaka Whauwhau ‘Tukuna Mai’, Unity Pacific ‘Into the Dread’, Urbantramper ‘Tokon and the Colours’, Vade ‘Fear’ EP, Various ‘Breakin Wreckwordz – It's a Monster’, Various ‘LOOP Select 008: Rare Vision’, Various ‘Nuclear Free Nation’, The Wrongmen 7”, Young Sid Hood Like Me single.

Tours

1157 Shows: AUGUST: Antagonist: 3 Wellington Zeal (AA); Antagonist at Taste of Chaos, 10 Wellington, Zeal (AA) W/ Cold By Winter, Aknam, 11 Wellington, Valve Bar (R18) W/ Cold By Winter, Aknam, 18 Auckland, Thirsty Dog (R18) W/ Cobra Khan, A Death in The Family (Aus), 23 Auckland, Kings Arms (R18) W/ Cold By Winter, Jones Town Syndicate (Aus), 24 Hamilton, No Way Out Records (AA) W/ Antagonist, Jones Town Syndicate (Aus), 25 Auckland, Ellen Melville Hall (AA) W/ Antagonist, Jones Town Syndicate (Aus), OCTOBER: 28 Auckland St James Theatre (AA) W/ The Used (USA), Rise Against (USA), The Bled (USA), Escape The Fate (USA), Aiden (USA), Gallows (UK)

Breakin’ Wreckwordz: AUGUST: 17 Urbanology with R.E.S and Substance, Fu Bar, Auckland, 30 Necro, Cyphanetik, Louie Knuxx, 4:20, Auckland

The Brunettes: AUGUST: 10 Wellington San Francisco Bath House, 11 Palmerston North Bar Mode, 17 Auckland Kings Arms Tavern

Hannah Curwood and Simon Comber - The Knock-Knock Tour: AUGUST: 4 Bar Bodega Wellington with The Tomahawks, 17 The Backstage Dunedin with Haunted Love and the Alan Ibell Band

Grand Prix: AUGUST: 3rd & 4th Taranaki Arts Festival New Plymouth, 9 the Dogs Bollix Auckland

The Haints of Dean Hall (with Jose Gonzales): AUGUST 14 Hopetoun Alpha Auckland (sold out)

Minuit: AUGUST: 9 Salute Whangarei, 10 4:20 Auckland, 11 San Francisco Bathhouse Wellington, 16 Shooters Wanaka, 17 Refuel Dunedin, 18 Jetset Lounge Christchurch, 23 Bar Mode Palmerston North, 24 Colosseum Napier, 25 Latitude Napier

Pitch Black: AUGUST: 3 Latitude Napier, 4 Babalu's Whangaparoa, 9 Subculture Queenstown, 10 Refuel Dunedin, 11 Base Christchurch, 12 Shooters Wanaka, 16 Phat Club Nelson, 17 San Francisco Bath House Wellington, 18 Bar Mode Palmerston North, 24 Studio Auckland
The Ruby Suns: JULY: 31 with The Shins - The Civic Christchurch; AUGUST 1 with The Shins - The Powerstation Auckland

Ruia: AUGUST 31 Maori Expo Auckland

Robert Scott, George Henderson (the Puddle) with The Clientele: JULY: 30 Kings Arms Tavern Auckland

Shapeshifter: AUGUST: 30 San Francisco Bathhouse Wellington, 31 San Francisco Bathhouse Wellington, SEPTEMBER: 1 Studio Auckland, 2 Studio Auckland, 4 Subculture Queenstown, 5 Subculture Queenstown, 7 Union Hall Dunedin, 8 The Civic Christchurch, 9 The Civic Christchurch

SJD: AUGUST: 2 The 3rd Annual Hope Foundation Spring Summer show Hopetoun Alpha Auckland, 24 San Francisco Bath House, 25 Rising Sun Auckland: SEPTEMBER 1 Leigh Sawmill

Slipping Tongue with Jaggedy Ann: AUGUST: 3 Tuakau Tavern Auckland, 10 Krazy Jacks Tauranga, 11 Glenfield Tavern Auckland, 29 Sterling Tavern Waihi, 30 Kings Arms Auckland, 31 Stampede Papakura, SEPTEMBER: 1 Brewers Bar Mount Maunganui, 2 Lattitude Napier, 5 Basement Bar New Plymouth, 6 Axces Bar Hamilton, 7 Bar Bodega Wellington, 8 Jetset Christchurch

Hollie Smith: JULY: 31 Queenstown Memorial Hall with Phoenix Foundation; AUGUST: 5 Taranaki Arts Festival - New Plymouth, 17 Wellington - Opera House (with special guests)

Urbantramper ‘Tokon and The Colours’ release tour: AUGUST: 2 Als Bar Christchurch with Ragamuffin Children, 3 Refuel Dunedin with Chris Matthews, 1t The Adelaide Wellington, 17 Galatos Auckland (‘Camp A Low Hum‘ movie release show)

World Battle of the Bands heats: AUGUST 1 Kings Arms Tavern Auckland, with Built To Burn, Interconnector, The Hijacks, 2 August Bodega Wellington with Amos, The Ramps, The Stacks, 3 Stampede Bar Auckland with Bor'Tas, Vital Clue, Happy Hearse, Leopard Skin Driveway, 3 Glenfield Tavern Auckland with N.D.R.S, Convergence, 3 Axces Bar Hamilton with Utu, Salient, 8 Ball Rattle, Osh, 3 Jetset Lounge Christchurch with Sockpuppet Picnic, Incarna, 4 Brewers Bar Mt Maunganui with Enercia, Acalmbefore, Medicated Joe, Issues, 4 The White Horse Auckland with Para-dox, Moonlight Drive, Openise, 8 Kings Arms Tavern Auckland with Illicit, The Rickshaws, Top.Ace.Nut.Gun (TANG), the pyon, 9 Bodega Wellington with Mind Vandal, Fiin, White Night

ends

© Scoop Media