Weekly Round-Up: Friday 12th April

Leading the news this week is the announcement that the Big Day Out will return in 2014. The festival of course pulled out of New Zealand after a poor outing in 2012 but organisers are promising a reinvigorated festival on it's return next year including a new venue which they hope will be Western Springs Stadium. Reception to the news has been largely positive but the lineup remains a chief concern.

In other tour news, Beastwars announced nationwide dates in support of their new album Blood Becomes Fire out next week (we'll have a brand new track on Monday + an interview); singer-song writers Nadia Reid and Luckless are off on a double headline tour around the country in May; 95bFM announced the lineup for this years bStreet happening in and around K'Road in May;  we caught up with Foals' guitarist Jimmy Smith ahead of their one-off Auckland show in October; and next Monday we will be announcing an exciting international tour, check out our 'Guess Who's Coming To Town' feature for clues and get in the draw to win a single pass.

In album release news, Wellington duo Glass Vaults are going to release their debut album Sojourn later this year and yesterday we premiered the first single 'Ancient Gates' and it's accompanying video; Queens of The Stone Age released first single 'My God Is The Sun' from their new album Like Clockwork out next month;  The National have released two new tracks this week - 'Demons' and 'Don't Swallow the Cap' - from their new album Trouble Will Find Me also out next month (we'll have an interview with Aaron Dessner up after the release); the Gordons debut album has won the new annual 'Independent Music NZ Classic Record’ award launched by Independent Music NZ as part of the Taite Music Prize; and lastly our picks of the album streams available this week are - Thee Oh Sees new album Floating Coffin, Iron & Wine's new album Ghost on Ghost and the new The Flamings Lips record The Terror.

Caught live this week we have Thom Yorke and Nigel Godrich giving dating advice to teen girls via awesome Rookie Magazine feature 'Ask A Grown Man' - sounds dodgy yes but it's really quite charming. Thom Yorke fans should also check out this great interview with him conducted by Alec Baldwin for his radio show 'Here's The Thing'.

WEEKEND GIG PICKS

Friday 12th April

AUCKLAND: Black Breath and Cold War, Lucha Lounge
AUCKLAND: Bright Child, $norgazzm + Suren Unka, Cassette Nine
AUCKLAND: Bat Country, Muscle Man + His Masters Voice, Whammy Bar
TAURANGA: Yolanda, The Leers and Milou, Major Toms
WELLINGTON: The Ruby Suns, Boycrush + Eyeliner, Puppies
WELLINGTON: Rotten Sound, Bodega
WELLINGTON: God Bows To Math, Force Fields + more, Mighty Mighty
WELLINGTON: Pharoahe Monch, SFBH

Saturday 13th April

AUCKLAND: Black Sabbath Tribute Night, UFO
AUCKLAND: Karaoke Taxi and Daniel Boobyer, Wine Cellar
WHANGANUI: God Bows To Math, Deathbeam, Parents + more, Space Monster
WELLINGTON: Glass Vaults, Forest Spirits and Zachariah Bell, Puppies
CHRISTCHURCH: Cold War, Zebedees
DUNEDIN: Trick Mammoth, Males and Death & The Maiden, Chicks Hotel

Coming up next week...

Fabulous Arabia, Wellington (Mon 15th)
Cold War, Auckland (Mon 15th)
The Ruby Suns, Auckland (Thur 18th)
Salad Boys (CHCH), Ghost Wave + More, Auckland (Thur 18th)

NEW TRACKS