Music News

Weekly Roundup: Friday 22nd February

Friday 22nd February, 2019 5:30PM

The cosmic merry-go-round of red hot show announcements and crucial releases continued to deliver the goods this week. Upcoming live events to get hyped for included Philadelphia guitar hero Kurt Vile is now playing a second Auckland all ages event at The Tuning Fork this April as his previously announced Powerstation show is now sold out, hugely popular LA noise-rap innovator Ghostemane is playing an Auckland headline event in May, Wellington songsmith A.U.R.A. and band (featuring Ben Lemi, Deanne Krieg and Samuel Austin) are playing a nationwide tour in April and May, and Auckland electronic duo Bib Kids are bringing their killer live show to venues across the nation for their first national tour this March and April. Metal figurehead Ozzy Osbourne sadly announced the cancellation of his upcoming New Zealand performances, due to "doctors orders arising from Osbourne’s recent illness" – UK legends Judas Priest are now stepping into the headline slot for the Auckland Spark Arena event to bring their leather-clad brand of British Steel to local metal lovers this March.

Former UTR editor Danielle Street showed us how it's done with her insightful review exploring the highs and lows of Lyttelton songwriting icon Marlon Williams' landmark headline show with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, at Auckland's Villa Maria Estate Winery last Saturday, and new contributor Todd Dealer reviewed Scottish alt-rock legends Teenage Fanclub's first ever New Zealand show in their 30 year history, at Auckland's Powerstation on Monday evening. We hosted a trio of crucial interviews this week – Fluffy touched base with soon to be touring US noise-rock duo No Age about their new album Snares Like A Haircut, DIY music-making and more ahead of their long-awaited return to Aotearoa this month, Melbourne synth-pop superstars Client Liaison had an in-depth chat with Chris Cudby in anticipation of this weekend's three date NZ tour, and ace music writer Gareth Shute spoke with high-energy jazz-electro duo The Correspondents, in advance of this weekend's appearances at Auckland's paradisiacal Splore Festival 2019 and Christchurch's Electric Avenue Music Festival 2019, along with their return visit this March for Taranaki’s WOMAD New Zealand 2019.

Our Caught Live video for the week features US stoner rock titans Earthless, who are hitting New Zealand this weekend for a seriously blazed three date tour, playing Auckland, Wellington and Tauranga with support from our very own Ounce (who have a wild new single out today). Check out the trio's blunted riff magic in action with superbly shot recent live footage of Earthless playing their song 'Electric Flame' (from 2018's Black Heaven), in a mean van at California's Desert Daze 2018 festival...