Weekly Round-Up: Friday 12th July

In tour news this week, Melbourne quartet The Drones announced their first ever headline New Zealand shows,  Beyonce's hotly-rumoured Auckland concert was at last confirmed for this October with presales selling in minutes and after some pretty heavy legal dramas, Lamb of God announced their return to New Zealand for one show in September.  Locally, Christchurch trio The Transistors will be playing shows in August in support of the long-awaited release of their second album Is This Anything? and look out for Unknown Mortal Orchestra and The Veils who have nationwide tours commencing next weekend and The Phoenix Foundation kick off their extensive Fandango album release tour tonight in Auckland (see gig picks section below for more details).

In release news,  Pearl Jam announced the release of their tenth album - Lightening Bolt - and released lead single 'Mind Your Manners'; the Manic Street Preachers released the title track from their new album Rewind The Film, due out in September;  Street Chant released a new EP for free download entitled  Isthmus Of One-Thousand Lovers; and we have new reviews up of great albums from Jonathan Bree, Ghost Wave and Jon Hopkins.

Caught live this week we have the Fiery Furnaces' Eleanor Friedberger performing 'Star at The Sun' from her new solo album Personal Record live on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon...

And if you missed it this week, here is the leaked trailer for the documentary on M.I.A struggling through legal an funding issues to get released (more on that over here):

WEEKEND GIG PICKS:

Friday (12th July)

AUCKLAND: Wilbforces and Civil Union, DOC
AUCKLAND: Kirin J Callinan and Dear Time's Waste, Whammy Bar
AUCKLAND: Street Chant, Surf City and Males, Method and Manners
AUCKLAND: The Phoenix Foundation, The Powerstation
WELLINGTON: The Golden Awesome and All Seeing Hand, Mighty Mighty
CHRISTCHURCH: Anthonie Tonnon and Watercolours, Wunderbar (Lyttelton)
DUNEDIN: No Saliva, Death and The Maiden and more, Queens

Saturday (13th July)

AUCKLAND:SAFE Fundraiser w/ $noregazZzm, Deer Park, Randa and more, Wine Cellar/Whammy Bar
AUCKLAND: Drab Doo-Riffs, DHDFDs, Sex Pest and Mr Slackjaw, Kings Arms
AUCKLAND: Secret Knives and Glass Vaults, Golden Dawn
WELLINGTON: Kirin J Callinan and Dear Time's Waste, Puppies
WELLINGTON: Surf Friends and Kittentank, Mighty Mighty
CHRISTCHURCH: No Saliva, Salad Boys and BnP, Darkroom
DUNEDIN: Anthonie Tonnon and Watercolours, Chicks Hotel
DUNEDIN: Joy Division Tribute Night, Queens

Coming up next week...

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - dates nationwide from Thursday (18th July)
The Phoenix Foundation - dates nationwide from Friday (19th July)
The Veils - dates nationwide from Friday (19th July)

NEW TRACKS: