Weekly Round-Up: Friday 11th January

Welcome to our first round-up of 2013, already the year is shaping up to be a goodin with David Bowie surprising us earlier this week with a great new track 'Where Are We Now?' from a forthcoming new album, his first in ten years, and we also have new records to look forward to from Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Chelsea Light Moving (Thurston Moore), MIA, Pissed Jeans, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Atoms For Peace, My Bloody Valentine, Arcade Fire, Wavves, Grouper, Queens of the Stone Age, Ipswich, Street Chant, The Phoenix Foundation, Popstrangers, Rackets (no doubt) and Badd Energy to name but a very few.  Then of course, there is the live arena which has already started off well with Unknown Mortal Orchestra playing two amazing headline shows in the past week and no doubt another tonight as they support Weezer who play their entire 'Blue' album at Vector Arena. Then next week alone we have Alabama Shakes, Crystal Castles, Band of Horses, Mike Noga and Woods who announced two last minute New Zealand dates just before Xmas - see below for more details of these shows.

New tour announcements this week included art-rockers Chicks On Speed who announced their return for two shows in Feb/March, rising Canadian producer Lunice has announced his first ever New Zealand tour, we discovered tour listings from an intriguing Japanese group called Marble Sheep and the Audio Foundation announced their first touring artist as part of their Altmusic series - Brisbane's Leighton Craig.

Caught live this week we have Morrissey performing 'Action Is My Middle Name' from a forthcoming album, full details of which have yet to be released,  live on Letterman...

WEEKEND GIG PICKS

Friday 11th January

LEIGH: Faster Pussycat Kill Kill, Leigh Sawmill
AUCKLAND: Weezer, Vector Arena
AUCKLAND: Moppy, Emily Edrosa (Street Chant) and Huf, Cassette Number Nine
WELLINGTON: Action Bronson, SFBH
NELSON: Tom Rodwell, The Boathouse
MOTUEKA: Gypsy Fever, The Park Cafe
FOX GLACIER: Alizarin Lizard and Brown, Cooks Saddle Cafe
METHVEN: Urbantramper, The Blue Pub

Saturday 12th January

AUCKLAND: Marble Sheep (Japan), Lucha Louge
AUCKLAND: Stone the Crows, The Mad Crept and Vessel, Whammy Bar
WELLINGTON: Swampton Creeps with Eb and Sparrow, Mighty Mighty
TAKAKA: Gypsy Fever, Mussel Inn
FRANZ JOSEPH: Alizarin Lizard and Brown, Blue Ice Cafe
AKAROA: Urbantramper, The Hilltop Tavern

MIDWEEK INTERNATIONALS

Mike Noga - Wellington (Mon 14th) and Auckland (Thur 17th)
Band of Horses - Wellington (Tue 15th) and Auckland (Wed 16th)
Crystal Castles - Auckland (Tue 15th)
Alabama Shakes - Auckland (Tue 15th)
Woods - Wellington (Wed 16th) and Auckland (Thur 17th)
Marble Sheep - Auckland (Wed 16th) and Raglan (Thur 17th)

LATER THIS MONTH

Dirty Projectors, Auckland (Wed 23rd) and Wellington (Thur 24th)
Hunx and His Punx, Auckland (Thur 24th)
A Place To Bury Strangers, Wellington (Sun 27th)
Laneway Festival, Auckland (Mon 28th)

NEW TRACKS