Weekly Round-Up: Friday 8th February

This week is going to be hard to top gig-wise with Bailterspace playing a phenomenal show in Auckland on Tuesday, Thee Oh Sees bringing the party last night at Whammy Bar (and no doubt again this weekend in Wellington) and the mighty Godspeed You! Black Emperor playing their first ever New Zealand shows tonight in Auckland and tomorrow night in Wellington (now at the Hunter Lounge + more tickets available).

Not only a great week for heading to gigs, Camp A Low Hum is also now underway, there has also been some pretty big tours announcements starting off with the unusual coupling of The Darkness and Joan Jett and The Black Hearts playing together in April,  Tuesday saw Bloc Party  announced to return for one (now sold out) Auckland show in March and yesterday Tool announced their first headline show in a decade.

On the local front, labels Flying Nun and Arch Hill announced a joint showcase featuring rare performances by Snapper (who are also playing Wellington) and Solid Gold Hell  and So So Modern returned to the fold announcing a nationwide tour next month.

Topping album release news this week is of course My Bloody Valentine who finally released the long promised follow up to Loveless - m b v - over the weekend via their website, including a free online stream, creating such a frenzy that the site crashed in minutes; heavy psychedelic/doom band Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats have announced the release of new album - Mind Control - in April along with the first single;  long serving British electronic duo Autechre have released their new album Exai a month early; PVT have their new album Homosapien streaming in full have released it track by track over the past two weeks;  and we have got our album review section rolling for the year with new reviews of albums from Toro Y Moi, Foxygen and Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

WEEKEND GIG PICKS

Friday 8th February

AUCKLAND: Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Kings Arms Tavern
AUCKLAND: Husk Single Release, Cassette Nine
HAMILTON: Fornax Chemica, Axces
WELLINGTON: Thee Oh Sees, Mighty Mighty
WELLINGTON: Gypsy Fever And Niko Ne Zna Album Launch, SFBH
DUNEDIN: Mount Eerie, Dunedin Public Art Gallery

Saturday 9th February

AUCKLAND: Lawrence Arabia, The Phoenix Foundation + more, Matua Wines
AUCKLAND: Bass In the Park (all proceeds go to Starship), Tahaki Reserve
AUCKLAND: Leighton Craig, Audio Foundation
AUCKLAND: Fornax Chemica, Rising Sun
WELLINGTON: Godspeed You!, Black Emperor, The Hunter Lounge (note new venue)
DUNEDIN: Bond Street Bridge Explorers Club Tour, Chicks Hotel
CHRISTCHURCH/LYTTELTON: Delaney Davidson, Wunderbar

Sunday 10th February

AUCKLAND: Converge and Old Man Gloom, Kings Arms Tavern
WELLINGTON: Shacklock Meth Party and Dance Asthmatics, Mighty Mighty

NEW TRACKS THIS WEEK