Release Radar: The Datsuns, PARK RD, Samara Alofa, MĀ ft. Mara TK & Takatapunani, T. G. Shand + More

It's getting sizzling hot at UTR HQ in Tāmaki Makaurau, with lots on in the weekend ahead. We're heading to the Aotearoa Alternative Awards ceremony this Saturday at Hollywood Avondale, plus you can find me lurking at MORTIIS tonight. Place your bets on who's going to scoop the AAAs and delve downwards for new / recent Aotearoa highlights from The Datsuns, PARK RD, Samara Alofa, MĀ ft. Mara TK & Takatapunani, T. G. Shand, aridni orca, Hallelujah Picassos, D. Tyrone, The Bats, Mermaidens, Katie-Lee, Jason Parker, and Rattle Records.

Cambridge kings of 21st century Aotearoa NZ rock 'n' roll, The Datsuns are back reminding everyone who's boss with their eighth studio album Moonstruck Man. We can all learn something from their resolute commitment to delivering the fuzz-blasting goods, even as they continue to expand their horizons — singer / bassist Dolf de Borst sounding akin to a melodic folk balladeer in-between heavy psych shreds on the title tune. The cherry on top is Marc Swadel's new clip for 'Glide Like A Ghost, filmed amidst spooked-out London streets.

Hailing from Tāmaki Makaurau and now based in Gadigal Country, Sydney, PARK RD's new album Boyhood maintains the soaring alt-rock momentum of 2024's debut The Novel, sporting ten fresh-faced anthems primed to steal the world's heart. They'll be back on our shores in the coming weeks, helping usher in summer with a triple date tour. "This album has been written over a period of time, as we’ve been growing up and experiencing the world around us. It feels like an accumulation of our lives as friends and the relationships happening in the close circles around us. We have romance in there, we have songs about music, stories of good times as well as the bad times. It’s a snapshot of all the highs and lows of growing up, and we are so excited to share what Boyhood means to us with everyone."

Top 20 co-finalist for the 2026 APRA Silver Scroll with PollyHill and MOKOTRON for 'HOME (MOKOTRON REMIX)' — the first ever remix to achieve this distinction? — Samara Alofa combines powers with club queen DJ Brenda aka Takatapunani on new banger 'GET FREE' via Kuini Qontrol. Hyperenergetic junglist breakbeats and rolling sub-bass reveal an urgent flip-side to the swoony sonics of 2020's low key classic Earth Punk. Director Storm Bloomfield's stylish visuals take the already crucial track over the top. Best line of the year: "Set me free of the tall poppy / Buy my merch / Set me free."

Clearly in demand by those in the know, Takatapunani is passed the mic on MĀ's first new single in a year 'STYERA' — a body-moving, Hiko house club weapon, also featuring Mara TK and the co-production skills of Cory Champion and Tony Douglas.

In tune with today's sunbeams, T. G. Shand's radiant new dream-pop / electronica single 'Sizing The Waltz' slides between modes with the playful ease of someone who's very good at what they do. Directed / animated by Spencer Hall (Megahonk) with painter Clark Roworth and Ryan Bennett wearing project management / roto artist hats, the coastal clip made with support from NZ On Air completes a deeply hypnagogic, mushies-friendly package.

A withering portrait of youthful life in the garden city, London-based Aotearoa avant-pop / electronic artist aridni orca declares 'Christchurch you were the worst I've ever been' on her first single in a year via Sonorous Circle — featuring fellow traveller Daniel McBride (Sheep, Dog & Wolf) handling live bass / drums duties.

Genre-scrambling legends and one of the best local live acts this gig-goer has witnessed, 'Give me charity (The insight of an allochtone)' is the industrial-dubwise lead track to Hallelujah Picassos' upcoming album Electro synco treasure chest of stomping dances — a "gloriously cheeky sack of indie-electronic dance tunes" out in full on 1st December.

File under: why the heck didn't we cover this one earlier? Naarm-based queer DJ / producer D. Tyrone's tough features six world-class, deep-zoned and experimentally-minded club cuts — a sonically unchained gift for open-eared dancers and tune selectors. "Sounds inspired by the naive joy I felt as a kid falling in love with music. How good is life? I feel so free some days... I think this music made me feel free."

There's been many significant announcements this week from local digital platform Lume — we welcome back music journalist Conor Lochrie following the world's shortest retirement — including their official Australian launch and a big bunch of expanded new / reissued Aotearoa releases. Today's drop includes heavy fuzz duo Earth Tongue's world-conquering Dungeon Vision, the landmark Proud: An Urban Pacific Streetsoul Compilation featuring rare / unaired remixes, and notably Volume one: 1984-1990 from The Bats. The latter is the first of four chronological, career-surveying collections from Aotearoa's globally beloved icons, who've maintained the same unchanging lineup since 1982!

Speaking of Earth Tongue and reissues, ET singer / guitarist Gussie Larkin announced the 10th anniversary reissue of psych / post-punk sister group Mermaidens' debut album Undergrowth — out on vinyl LP for the first time ever plus compact disc on 11th December.

Back in the realm of the brand new. Rising Tāmaki Makaurau pop songwriter / producer Katie-Lee has shared their debut EP Destined for Loneliness — "a series of vulnerable heartfelt moments" — and invites you to dress to impress for tonight's Friday the 13th-themed launch party at Big Fan (get tickets HERE). Katie-Lee will be joined by may-c and fellow ascending pop talent Jason Parker — who also has a new bundle of tunes out today. "I’m so proud of this project and i’m so glad it’s FINALLY out in the world. I’m grateful I get to do this. I feel all warm and fuzzy inside lol."

Also gracing the stage at Big Fan tonight, Aotearoa pop force Jason Parker sounds exuberant while confronting thorny issues of queer identity, vulnerability and acceptance on his new album What Makes a Man (also out today on Lume) — donning pink-striped rugby jersey in the lyric videos for every anthem. "What have he and many other young queer New Zealanders been taught masculinity should look like, and how much of it actually feels like him?"

Another local alternative to the streaming services chokehold, Aotearoa sonic voyagers Rattle Records have announced a new subscription initiative via Bandcamp. "Tell those tech-billionaire streaming services to take a hike by supporting Rattle artists directly with a monthly Digital Download Subscription." Right on — full lowdown HERE.