Music News

Weekly Roundup: Friday 16th August

C.C. / Friday 16th August, 2019 4:30PM

Where does one week end and another begin... and what is art?

To answer the former question, it kicked off like usually does around here, with a flood of awesome tour announcements and releases which categorically did not relent for the full length of the week. Tāmaki Makaurau / Pōneke catchy tune masters Hans Pucket are gearing up for an extensive nationwide tour this spring, best buds and former overseas tourmates The Beths added a special Dunedin headline date to their rapidly selling-out November homecoming tour, the annual Going Global Presents artist showcase event unveiled their 12 artist bill of rising stars from throughout Aotearoa, Ōtautahi's Adam Hattaway And The Haunters revealed dates for their forthcoming Crying Lessons album release tour (plus a soulful new single), and Karangahape Road's The Others Way festival lifted the lid on 2019's all-ages, alcohol-free Girls Rock Camp Stage, featuring a stellar lineup of artists from throughout NZ and beyond.

International artists heading our way include US desert rock pioneers Yawning Man, who are swooping into Aotearoa for a long-awaited three date tour in early 2020, New York songwriter Joan As Police Woman is playing intimate solo events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch this October, US rising rap stars Shakewell and Ramirez are visiting Aotearoa in October for two nights of hard-hitting rhyme slinging, and Perth's Great Gable are bringing their breezy guitar-pop grooves back to NZ for a three date tour in November. If fist-pumping rock anthems are your thing, you may want to consider attending shock-rock godfather Alice Cooper's headline events in Auckland and Christchurch this February (supported by a 50th anniversary version of the MC5!), or succumbing to the glamor of UK rock gods The Darkness at their Auckland headline show in March.

We were over the moon to premiere two crucial local releases this week – the dreamy yet critically sharp new video for Mermaidens' latest single 'Millennia', and the buzzed-out sci-fi tinged video for Tāmaki Makaurau garage-psych crew Echo Ohs' new tune 'Wild Weeds', described by our mysterious guest writer A.B. as "if your VHS tape of Under the Mountain grew up and moved to K’ Road". We also had the privilege of hosting Millie Lovelock's (Repulsive Woman) brief yet illuminating conversation with Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker about the trailblazing US group's new album The Center Won't Hold, recorded in collaboration with art-pop superstar St. Vincent – read the interview here.

To answer the latter question – perhaps this weekend's gig picks and our new tracks sections below can help you get to the bottom of that one...

Our Caught Live video for the week features US synth wizard John Maus, who is performing at Tāmaki Makaurau's The Others Way 2019 Festival – which unless you've been sealed in a cave for the past few months, you'll know is taking over venues throughout the Karangahape Rd district in late August. With so many unmissable artists performing at the multi-stage extravaganza (including The Chills, Straitjacket Fits and Blam Blam Blam) it'd almost be understandable not to immediately spot such a titanic talent in our midst, which is why we're highlighting him today. Check out quite amazing recent footage of Maus and band performing 'Rights For Gays', 'Castles In The Graves', 'Crucifix' and 'The Combine' in Berlin for Electronic Beats. He's also playing a couple of dates this month in the South Island with Purple Pilgrims and Gary Way, get freakin' amped for the imminent visitation of John Maus this month...