Friday Release Roundup - Surf Friends, Nic and Reuben, Hybrid Rose, Varda + More

Like Natasha Lyonne says in episode eight of her new crime drama show Poker Face, "You gotta revisit the past to get past it, huh?" We've arrived at the end of a work week crammed full of musical highlights — for me: the incredibly heartwarming reemergence of Tāmaki Makaurau riot grrrl legends Fake Purr at Wednesday's Bikini Kill show, plus I've had this sick '80s fusion-pop song 'Mr Briefcase' by Lee Ritenour stuck in my head. Check out our past seven days' coverage of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Grecco Romank, Leonard Charles, RIOT GULL, Big Pharma and Mice on Stilts, plus explore even more fresh local releases below from Surf Friends, nic and reuben, Hybrid Rose, Varda, Bitter Defeat and Revulva.

Sonic voyagers beyond the wildest of waves, Tāmaki Makaurau's Surf Friends are "surfing to survive" on their hook-packed and vibe-soaked brand new ten song long-player, out today via the gang at Flying Nun. The high energy creative mind-meld of Brad Coley and Peter Westmoreland, they'll be letting rip at The Thirsty Dog this Saturday with King of the Sad Boys and DJ Jonny, plus next Saturday at Raglan's The Yot Club with Power Nap. Get your tickets for both gigs right HERE and order the compact disc edition via the Bandcamp link.

nic and reuben lean deeply into minimalist and moody post-Krule funk on their new single 'Overdue', from their debut album FOUR releasing in full this Saturday. They're celebrating that day with a massive rager at Whammy Bar (tickets HERE) — hit play on the tantalising tune right now, then wake up tomorrow to be greeted by the whole glorious shebang.

Cruising up the highway from their Kirikiriroa hometown for a headline gig at New Lynns' UFO on 1st April with The Fuzzies and Neurolyptica, Bitter Defeat's new Terrific Effort EP is stacked full of insta-catchy power-pop / punk hooks and we're all better off for it — nab yourself tickets HERE.

Playing as part of the mammoth lineup for Te Whanganui-a-Tara's community festival Cubadupa, Varda aka Alison (synths and voice) and Unsanitary Napkin / Displeasure's Ru (guitar and bass) shared their zoned second single 'What Time Is It There' — an emotionally transportive, shimmering mozaic of majestic guitars and motorik grooves.

Currently reigning supreme at number one on the student radio chart of her newly adopted Tāmaki Makaurau hometown, Hybrid Rose has dropped a special Bandcamp Exlusive edition of her dancefloor-pumping, cyber-pop bop 'Planet Intercourse' (out on all streaming platforms on 24th March), including a LOZ Club Mix.

Also tearing up student radio airwaves over the past few weeks, Pōneke's party-starting Revulva collective unveiled an appropriately wild western new video for their straight shootin' latest single 'This Town', directed by Ben Ashby.