New On Amplifier
Kia ora ,
Hope you've made it through the first week after New Zealand Music Month ok - and why shouldn't you have? There've been
great shows from the likes of Gin Wigmore, The Black Seeds and Opossom for you to attend, to name a few. Kiwi music lives on in full force outside of May - at least, it does in our esteemed
circle of connoiseurs of homegrown produce! You can get your hands into the last of the NZMM merch if you haven't done so already...
Best,
Mr Editor
ALL MUSIC NEWS • NEW ON AMPLIFIER
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Album of the Week
Various - Songs From The Inside
Songs From The Inside, the successful Maori Television series that follows four top Kiwi musicians as they teach songwriting to prison
inmates, now has its own album.
The all new album Songs From The Inside, produced by Anika Moa, Warren Maxwell, Maisey Rika and Ruia Aperahama and featuring songs by inmates at two New Zealand prisons, will be released on 8 June - two days before the series
finale.
Gritty and thought-provoking, Songs From The Inside has been critically acclaimed since it premiered on Maori Television in March.
The series follows singer-songwriters Moa, Maxwell, Rika and Aperahama as they teach 10 inmates at Rimutaka and Arohata
Prisons the art of writing, performing and recording their own songs in just 10 weeks.
The 13-track album Songs From The Inside is the deeply personal conclusion of the musical journeys of the seven prisoners who completed the course.
Their songs are raw and heartfelt, and come to life in a broad compilation that includes soul, R, hip hop and reggae. The four artists - Moa, Maxwell, Rika and Aperahama - provide backing vocals and supplementary
music, with additional beats by P-Money and drums by Riki Gooch.
The physical release of Songs From The Inside is a digi pack album with a CD containing 13 tracks, each one preceded by a sound-bite from one of the students or
artists, and a DVD containing seven songs. The digital release contains the 13 tracks.
Each song on the DVD is accompanied by a montage of footage from the series that traces the singer's journey through the
programme. The album also comes with a 20-page booklet containing lyrics plus information about the project and those
involved.
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Single of the Week
Superturtle - Fear Factor
Superturtle play an eclectic and varied mix of instrumentation and boast an all-analogue production. Theremin, vibraslap, Hammond
organ, mellotron, electric Rhodes, piano, strings, brass and synths all feature around a core of guitar, bass, drums and
vocal harmonising.
Their new single is post-punk space disco laced with stabs of angular guitar. Fear Factor continues on from where About The Sun left off. This single was lifted from the forthcoming Beat Manifesto LP.
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Photo Gallery
The Black Seeds at The Powerstation, Auckland
Steve Bone snapped us these shots of The Black Seeds at their performance at The Powerstation in Auckland on Friday 1 June, in support of their new album Dust And Dirt.
All images (c) 2012 Steve Bone Photography
To view the full gallery - click >HERE<
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Album
The Puddle - Secret Holiday / Victory Blues
The Puddle's seventh album is the sum of two proposed 5-track 10" EPs, recorded a year apart and pulled together as a complete unit. This
collection is Henderson's response to 30 years of under-appreciation for their urgent psychedelia, sweet pop sentiments
and garage rock undertones.
A deliberately more commercial offering than previous albums, Secret Holiday / Victory Blues burns with a quiet fury. Pitched somewhere between Julian Cope's fried krautrock and pop, The Clean's wayward tunes and Orange Juice's oblique vision of a new pop future, this album features Graeme Humphreys (Able Tasmans, Humphreys & Keen) on keyboards and multi-instrumentalist Alan Starrett (Pop Art Toasters, The Bats, Mink).
The album is also available on LP.
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Album
Gatherer - So Be It
So Be It is the new album from Australian-based Gatherer. It cohesively blends the pop sensibilities of Nine Inch Nails, the genuine melodic rock of Cave-In and a hint of
Converge/Isis-inspired heaviness with the vocal rhythms and melody of Queen and Tears For Fears.
A wall of syncopated sound, coupled with strikingly unconventional rhythm, dynamics and harmonies take the Gatherer
sound to an entirely original aural spectrum. This, along with an honest approach to lyrical content, completes the Gatherer package.
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Free Download
Bella Kalolo - Superstar (Ali Isdale Remix)
Here is a free download for the first remix from Bella Kalolo's soon-to-be-released digital EP - Superstar, remixed by Ali Isdale.
The EP will contain remixes from Isaac Aesili, Jet Jaguar and more to be revealed soon.
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Album
Tomorrow People - One
A studio project turned live stage show, Wellington-based eight-piece band Tomorrow People release their debut album One.
Self-described as 'sunshine reggae', One is focused on a mid-tempo sound that, while clearly reggae-centric, adds touches of dancehall ragga to its colour. It
is an album built around strong vocals, soothing harmonies, catchy hooks, aggressive ragga raps and feel good riddims
(rhythms).
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Single
Nick Hohepa - Holiday
Holiday was produced by Stephen Gade and engineered by Marc Schettler at Hafenklang Studio in Hamburg, Germany.
The single features the talented German vocalist, Jayney Klimak.
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Pre-Order
Clap Clap Riot - Counting Spins
After four years of singles, EPs, international support slots, tours and local festivals, Clap Clap Riot finally release their debut album Counting Spins on 15 June.
Recorded between Auckland's York Street Studios and Studio 203 with engineering maestro Andrew Buckton, Counting Spins features the Silver Scroll nominated single Everyone's Asleep, as well as radio favourites, Moss Haired Girl and So You Say.
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Album
TastyBrown - Kitchen
Kitchen features the singles Hangin Out, Swing and Hello. The album was recorded and produced at Black Box Studio & The Chocolate Factory Studio, 2012.
Music produced to inspire and move all peoples. For this band it's all about the groove!
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Competition
Win a copy of the The Nukes' debut album 'Each To Their Own'!
In celebration of the release of the first music video from The Nukes, the band have given us some copies of their album Each To Their Own to give away!
To win, all you need to do is watch the music video and count how many people are wearing hats. Easy peasy!
This West Auckland group was formed three years ago and includes former Goldenhorse drummer Ben Collier and David Thiele. They've played at a 70th birthday bash for former Waitakere mayor Bob Harvey, on
TVNZ's Good Morning show and at the Splore Festival, as well as releasing this great album.
To enter the competition, visit the ARTICLES page on Amplifier, or simply click >HERE<
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Album
John Psathas - Good For Nothing (OST)
Shot in Central Otago and funded mostly out of writer-director Mike Wallis' and star Inge Rademeyer's own pockets, Good For Nothing is a completely homegrown classic Western released on to New Zealand screens in May 2012.
The original soundtrack for the feature film Good For Nothing was written by classical composer John Psathas - who did a great deal of research into the great Western movie soundtracks for his debut film score. The score is
generously performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
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Photo Gallery
Opossom at Lucha Lounge, Auckland
Steve Bone also captured some pictures of Opossom at an album release show for Electric Hawaii. It was at Lucha Lounge in Auckland on Saturday 2 June.
All images (c) 2012 Steve Bone Photography
To view the full gallery - click >HERE<
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Album
Wendy Morris - Entangled
Entangled is Wendy Morris's first solo album, featuring 12 original songs. Produced, engineered and mastered by Mike McCarthy at Manuka Studios
in Orewa, the album provides a showcase of great New Zealand talent.
The album received creative input from Graham Brazier of Hello Sailor fame, who appears on four of the tracks and from internationally recognised drummer Bruce Morley.
Video of the Week
Kimbra - Warrior feat. Mark Foster and A-Trak
Congratulations to our very own Kimbra! Her debut album Vows reached number 14 on the US Billboard 200 last week - no mean feat at all!
TOP VIDEOS THIS WEEK
Tiki
Minuit
Making Tracks
Dane Rumble
Funkommunity
Fat Freddy's Drop
Mel Parsons
Cornerstone Roots
Awa
Jae'O
Katie Thompson
Chris Hurn
DJCXL
Top Tracks on Amplifier
01. Pieter T - It Would Be You
02. Shapeshifter - Monarch
03. Pieter T - It Would Be You (Instrumental)
04. The Native Sons - Love your Children
05. The Free Tones - Livin' The Now
06. Pieter T - It Would Be You (a capella)
07. The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra - Cry Me A River
08. The Black Seeds - Out Of Light
09. Solephonic - Higher
10. Outta Exile - All We Need To Know
11. Tiki - Over The Rainbow
12. Awa - Papatuanuku feat. Che Fu
13. The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra - Afternoon Delight
Friday 8 June
1885, Auckland
Stephen
Friday 8 June
'DIY Touring The World' Book Release
w/ Disasteradio, Golden Axe, Quarks and Name UL
Mighty Mighty, Wellington
Richie
Friday 8 June
Darkroom, Christchurch
Gary
New Zealand music online
ends