Music News

Weekly Roundup: Friday 29th March

Friday 29th March, 2019 5:00PM

The wave of fundraising concerts announced in need of your urgent support following Christchurch's terrorist attacks continued this week. A massive lineup of local superstars are set to perform at You Are Us / Aroha Nui fundraising events at Auckland's Spark Arena and Christchurch Stadium in April, with the Canterbury show revealing Lorde will make a special appearance, alongside such mega names as Marlon Williams, Bic Runga and Shihad. Williams is also sharing the stage with a veritable host of local songwriting talent at this Saturday's How Can I Keep From Singing fundraiser at Christchurch's Blue Smoke, featuring The Eastern, Holly Arrowsmith, Al Park and more.

Lovers of frenzied garage punk action are in for a treat – San Diego's The Schizophonics are heading to Aotearoa for the first time ever to play an explosive run of shows in May and June, and New Jersey's Screaming Females are playing a whiplash five date NZ tour, also happening in May and June. More local events to look forward to include Tāmaki Makaurau-based noise-punks Die! Die! Die! are playing a clutch of release shows for their new O EP this April, Wellington's Moments collective have announced a special pair of parties featuring Umfang and Shyboi of NYC's Discwoman collective, and new all-ages multi-day arts festival Slow Note is happening in a variety of venues across Wellington in April, boasting a bill of emotionally and politically engaged artists including carb on carb, i.e. crazy, milk, Michael James Keane and fruit juice parade.

We were over the moon to welcome to the UTR offices our new Assistant Editor Annabel Kean! You'll be hearing more from Annabel soon as we ramp up toward's May's New Zealand Music Month events / all around madness. We were also thrilled to premiere a sublime collection of fuzzed-out DIY guitar pop bangers from Feilding's Polaroids of Polarbears – don't take our word for it, give the album a spin for yourself here.

Our Caught Live video for this week features smokey-voiced Sydneysider Jack Ladder, who is returning to our shores in May for a pair of special intimate solo shows at Auckland's Whammy Bar and Wellington's Valhalla. He'll be here presenting 20 Golden Greats Vol. 2 – a two set, 20 song showcase of the artist's extensive back catalogue encompassing five albums and counting. Check out superb 2015 footage of the Australian songsmith performing his tune 'Come On Back This Way' from 2014's Playmates with his all star group the Dreamlanders, featuring the amazing Donny Benet on bass and Kirin J. Callinan on guitar, for NYC non-commercial station WFUV Public Radio...