Music News

Weekly Roundup: Friday 10th August

Friday 10th August, 2018 6:28PM

It was a straight up musical juggernaut of a week, crammed with major tour announcements and crucial releases. It was a great one for lovers of scuzzy guitar licks and safety pin jewellery, California punk icons Dead Kennedys are returning to New Zealand for the first time since the mid-eighties for shows in Auckland and Christchurch, while Taranaki punk mainstays Sticky Filth announced they’ll be touring the North Island in October and November. Auckland guitar-pop champs The Beths are embarking on a nationwide tour in celebration of their fab debut album Future Me Hates Me (which is out today!), and Hollie Fullbrook's Tiny Ruins shared a sterling new single and announced a three date tour kicking off in October. On a Beths-related tip, IMNZ's Going Global Music Summit announced the thirteen-strong lineup for their Going Global Presents showcase event, featuring a hand-picked selection of rising stars from throughout Aotearoa.

On the heavy music side of things, the trifecta of Belgium's Amenra, Melbourne's YLVA and Wellington's Into Orbit will hitting Auckland and Wellington in November, while international death metal supergroup Sinsaenum, which features members of Slipknot and Dragonforce, declared their debut visit to New Zealand.

If it's international mega-stars you're after, look no further. New Zealand’s biggest RnB party, ZM's Friday Jams Live announced a gargantuan lineup featuring Usher, Lil Jon, Salt N Pepa, T-Pain, Eve, Naughty By Nature, Che Fu & The Kratez and more, US-pop rock giants Toto are hitting the country in January for a national tour with local rock legends Dragon, and Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and composer Rufus Wainwright announced he's bringing his All These Poses tour to Aotearoa in March. You better start prepping your summer festival steez - US hip hop icon Cardi B is headlining both sites of January's Bay Dreams festival, Wanaka NYE festival Rhythm & Alps announced a star-studded bill for their three day affair, and Auckland's annual Wondergarden festival announced their lineup of international and local artists including Dam-Funk, Kllo, Cut Off Your Hands and more.

We were stoked to host an interview with Melbourne indie icon Courtney Barnett conducted by Auckland guitar wrangler Roy Irwin, ahead of this month's tour of New Zealand. We also presented an in-depth and illuminating conversation between Dunedin alt-pop artist Dudley Benson and Wellington DJ and writer Stevie Kaye about his first studio album in eight years Zealandia, which was released today. We had the privilege of premiering three stunning local releases this week - the debut single from Auckland garage-pop songwriter Bradley Fafejta's new solo project Créme Jéan, which features guest vocals from Princess Chelsea, an artful new video from Wellington-based alt-folk songwriter Fraser Ross and his group 04's accompanied by an insightful chat with Brooke Singer of French for Rabbits, and a deep-diving skronk-rock single from Auckland noiseniks Swallow The Rat.

Our Caught Live video for the week features Dunedin musical figureheads The Chills, who are heading out for an extensive nationwide tour in September and October in celebration of their new album Snow Bound. Here's vintage footage of Martin Phillipps and his band busting out a rockin' deep cut from their ginormous back catalogue, 'Torturing Me' from 2004's Stand By EP, on local TV show National Anthem...