Music News

Weekly Round Up: Friday 3rd February

Friday 3rd February, 2017 2:04PM

This week some great tour news came through the pipeline. The rumours were finally confirmed, and crime rock crew Chain & The Gang announced two bound-to-be-a-blast NZ dates for next month. Sonic trailblazers Hikashu are trekking through the North Island later this month from their native Nihongo, Japan. Melbourne based riff-slingers Merchant and Watchtower revealed they will be gracing our fair shores on Anzac weekend for three shows. Beijing noise rock outfit Birdstriking will be landing on New Zealand soil for two shows later in February. In local tour news, two of the country's rising indie stars Fazerdaze and Kane Strang are teaming up for a couple of shows at the end of month. And Yukon Era announced an eight date nationwide tour throughout March, which will be their last jaunt on hometurf before heading over seas for a good chunk of the year.

In release news, Baltimore's Future Islands gave us the first taste of their upcoming fifth album, which follows on from their 2014 breakthough record Singles. The loveable gap-toothed guy Mac DeMarco announced his new record and shared not one, but two new tunes - both of which share the common theme of old age. Ian Svenonius of the aforementioned Chain & The Gang has cut loose a new track called 'I'm A Lover (At Close Range)' as part of a forthcoming album from his solo project ESCAP-iSM. And on the local front, teenage shredders Alien Weaponry unleashed their powerful new cut 'Raupatu', along with an awesome video. And Christchurch's Motte unveiled the gorgeous violin-laden lead single from her upcoming album Strange Dreams.

For this week’s Caught Live we dug up one of the crowd-shot clips of Refused’s killer set at Laneway Festival on Monday. Watch them performing ‘Deadly Rhythm’ then head over here to read our review of their set and check out the rest of our Laneway coverage…