Weekly Round-Up: Friday 25th October

It's been a super busy music week with tours, awards and release news galore. Monday got started with the surprise announce of new hip hop festival Rapture which will see Eminem perform his very first New Zealand show alongside Kendrick Lamar, J.Cole and David Dallas. This was followed up by UK DnB group Rudimental announcing their first New Zealand shows, the biennial New Zealand Festival announced their 2014 programme on Wednesday night which includes shows from Neko Case and Yo La Tengo and yesterday saw the announcement of shows from Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy, sideshows from Pokey LaFarge who's over to perform at Womad in March, a one-off Auckland date from Canadian synth-rockers Metric and Splore revealed more of it's 2014 lineup including DJ Shadow.

On the release front, Arcade Fire's new album Reflektor has finally been unveiled with the band posting a full stream ahead of it's release next week, M.I.A released another single from her new album Matangi out early next month, Wooden Shjips released the first track from their new album Back To Land out next month, British psych-rockers TOY released the first single from their new album Join The Dots out in December, Connan Mockasin offered up the second track from his new album Caramel  out next month,  we premiered the first single from Tourettes' new EP Dead Dogs Dance,  Unknown Mortal Orchestra's new acoustic EP Blue Record has been streaming ahead of it's release next week,  Kurt Vile shared the first track from his new EP it's a big world out there (and i am scared) and finally, on Tuesday night the finalists in the major categories of the New Zealand Music Awards were announced along with the winners of the Technical Awards and Critics Choice Prize finalists.

Caught live this week we have Robin Pecknold from Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear's Daniel Rossen covering Pearl Jam hit 'Corduroy' in celebration of the release of Pearl Jams' new album Lightning Bolt...

WEEKEND GIG PICKS:

Friday

AUCKLAND: The Handsome Family, Galatos
AUCKLAND: Oddisee, Cassette Nine
AUCKLAND: Fang Fest, Wine Cellar/Whammy Bar
HAMILTON: BANGLADE$H, PleasePlease and Lightning On Me, Static
WELLINGTON: God Bows To Math, Hollywoodfun Downstairs and Lost Rockets, Mighty Mighty
WELLINGTON: Disasteradio, Alphabethead and Lavender, Puppies
CHRISTCHURCH: The River Jones and The Transistors, ArtBox
DUNEDIN: The Eastern, Plato

Saturday

AUCKLAND: Hallelujah Picassos, Blood Bags, Loud Ghost and More, Kings Arms
AUCKLAND: Rob Thorne and Pumice, Audio Foundation
WELLINGTON: Oddisee, The San Francisco Bath House
WELLINGTON: Avalanche City and Luke Thompson, Meow
CHRISTCHURCH: Bond Street Bridge - The Explorers Club, Chambers@241Gallery
CHRISTCHURCH: Tiny Pieces of Eight, Darkroom
DUNEDIN: Permanence - The Music of Joy Division, Queens

Sunday

AUCKLAND: Waitakere Festival, Corban Estate
AUCKLAND: Sam Hunt and Tourettes, Golden Dawn

NEW TRACKS: