Music News

Weekly Round Up: Friday 4th May

Friday 4th May, 2018 6:48PM

We're only four days into New Zealand Music Month but it's already been a wild ride. We kicked off the annual month-long celebration of Antipodean sounds with a BIG BANG, specifically our premiere of Tokyo-via-Wellington producer Lilstiffy's crucial collection Tha Big Bang Theory, which delivered the goods on all counts including killer track 'Bazinga!'. We were also thrilled to premiere the latest album from Oamaru noiseniks The Trendees, the debut single from Wellington dream-pop / post-punks DEAF, a mind-boggling collaborative single from The Grow Room collective (from upcoming compilation Two Daze: Local Music Made In 48 Hours) and the much-anticipated debut collection from Windy City electronic funsters Bright Music.

But that's not all - we were stoked to feature Auckland emo-revival / post-pop punk duo carb on carb's conversation with ace music writer Stevie Kaye about their new album for ages, and an in-depth chat between Melbourne-based ex-pats Sarah Mary Chadwick (Batrider) and the inimitable Michael McClelland (Bloody Hell, Centre Negative). To top it all off, UTR writer on the prowl Fluffy had a chinwag with visiting audio-visual maestros Public Service Broadcasting ahead of this week's show in Auckland.

More highlights in a busy week for local sounds included a new EP from Christchurch punks Nervous Jerk and an epically blissed-out single from Lower Hutt singer / producer Benny's Videos. Sandy Mill unveiled her soulful latest collection, Miss June dropped a wild video, Auckland songwriter Being. shared the first track from a forthcoming mixtape with Soaked Oats and Ha The Unclear, and Wellington songwriters Dick Whyte and Finn Johansson snuck out two elegant tunes. If you want to experience the sonic equivalent of smashing your head repeatedly against a brick wall, you better check out the debut track from Auckland-based power-violence / fastcore duo Bulk Bogan immediately.

Our Caught Live video for the week features iconic Lyttelton songwriter Marlon Williams, who'll be touring the nation shortly in support of his hugely popular latest album Make Way For Love. Check out the artist strutting his stuff on the world stage, with fab new footage of Williams performing his tune 'What's Chasing You' on US television host Conan O'Brien's late-night show CONAN...