Music News

Weekly Roundup: Friday 29th June

Friday 29th June, 2018 3:52PM

The sun is peeking through the clouds and the fresh tunes and tour announcements are streaming in and warming our bones. Tour news for the week included rough-riding Aussie rip-roaring cowpunks The Johnnys are returning to Aotearoa for their first tour in twenty eight years, Toronto-based prog metal stalwarts Intervals announced two North Island shows for September, and Papakura guitar-pop gurus The Situations announced a three date tour of Aotearoa with Rangiora wunderkinds Best Bets in July. Hip hop lovers were well served by the announcement Miami rap kingpin the boss Rock Ross is making his debut New Zealand appearance at Auckland's The Logan Campbell Centre in September, and Chicago underground tastemaker Warhol.SS is visiting Aotearoa for two shows in August.

We chatted with Auckland songsmith Vincent H.L. over burgers in anticipation of his rollicking album Weird Days which dropped today, and hit up Edward Castelow of Dictaphone Blues for the dirt on both his latest collection Elastic Meditation, and the shiny new clip for single 'Bang Bang Bang' which we were delighted to premiere on the site today. We also had the privilege of premiering a magical debut collection by Auckland's J.Flyger (of Popstrangers), and caught up with Jamie Tiller of Berlin-based label Music From Memory, who shared six highlights from the discography of his internationally acclaimed imprint, ahead of tonight's DJ set at Auckland dance venue 25B.

More local release highlights included Onehunga hip hop juggernauts SWIDT's self-affirming single ‘Who Run It’ and retro-style video, the combined rap forces of Illbaz, Melodownz and Raiza Biza dropped their second combined single ‘Outchea’ with local rhyme-slinger Dirty (of Eno x Dirty), and powerful new dance duo Goodwin & Kyle (aka Career Girls and Mr Amish, respectively) scored a home run with their hip-thrusting debut single ‘Downtown Club’. Auckland indie supergroup Water shared a fuzzy single ‘Turn Out The Lights’, Melbourne via Dunedin folk artist Maxine Funke released her sublime first collection in six years marvellously titled Home Fi, and Auckland "power-emo-post-pop" trio Repairs dropped their debut EP on cassette via Muzai Records, they're playing a Suicide Awareness Benefit Show at Auckland's Whammy Backroom tonight alongside local noiseniks Sere, Bruises, Bloodbags and Slumbug.

This week's Caught Live video features Wellington psychedelic duo Earth Tongue, who are playing this evening at heavy music mecca Valhalla with pals Transitor and O-Boy, and will be supporting metal icons Beastwars for the windy city leg of that group's nationwide tour in July. Earth Tongue have a European tour on the cards for October and November, and just launched a Boosted campaign in support of that musical adventure that you can learn more about here. Watch recently-unveiled live footage of Earth Tongue ripping through their song 'Portable Shrine' at Valhalla below...