Knives At Noon - Violins and Violence

Emerging out of our darkest south...ok, Dunedin (and yes I do love that city), Knives At Noon are a talented bunch, and from what I can glean, there is a healthy infusion of formal musical training driving what has so far been some astutely written and performed pop songs. With a little style, a front man who can sing and (reluctantly or not) pose appropriately when needs be, they are clearly very marketable. But in the end, "marketable" without depth goes nowhere. Knives At Noon have the depth. I have listened to all the songs available on their website. The song construction is sometimes complex, but not overly so, and my usual requirements, dynamics and texture, are available across pretty much all the material. I particularly like "New Lighter for the Underground" which I believe is the best demonstration of the seriousness with which the band take their writing. I am looking forward to hearing more from these guys. The video embedded today is from 2010. A great video for what was probably an extremely restricted budget. Their single "Handshake of the Heartache" was posted on this blog several months ago.

The following, slightly out-of-date article from NZ Musician is a good introduction to the band. The article is available at the following link:

 http://www.nzmusician.co.nz/index.php/ps_pagename/article/pi_articleid/2114.

You can buy their music,as well as merchandise, at the following link:

 http://www.knivesatnoon.com
  


Knives At Noon - Violins and Violence

Rackets - Snake In The Grass

Yessssssss...I really like this. I was just talking to a friend yesterday about hipsters' affection for irony (just creating another hierarchy), and this is an apt antidote. Won't put too much word puffery around it because it would not be appropriate. Sharp, crisp, cutting, tight, visually resplendent (oops). I don't know too much about Rackets live, but going off this, I assume they would be loud, fast and maybe a bit "dangeroussssss". (sorry, failed Humour 101). Off their "Could Do Better" EP. Have a listen at the link below. For fans of "stoner punk" or those who like something a little challenging to the "status quo".

http://racketsonline.bandcamp.com/



Rackets - Snake In The Grass

Zen Mantra - Soothsayer

Coming to Christchurch via Australia, precocious talent Sam Perry (ex-Psych Tigers) describes himself as a "producer" and I see no reason why he shouldn't judging by the standard of Zen Mantra's first album "How Many Padmes Hum?". Great songs fleshed out with texture, dynamics and a wall of noise result in what is a "complete" album. I find it amazing that a seventeen year old can come up with something as mature as this - from a "bedroom" studio. In Rip It Up magazine Sam cited influences such Pink Floyd, Tame Impala and Deerhunter. For me, a short-hand description would be an intersection somewhere between The Popstrangers and "shoe-gaze". Muzai Records is distributing the album locally and there are also offshore distribution deals in place, a testament to how others in the industry feel about Sam's talent. You can listen to some tracks from the album at the link below. You can buy Zen Mantra's music through Muzai Records or iTunes.

http://zenmantra.bandcamp.com/



Zen Mantra - Soothsayer

JBrown & The Mic Smith - Where Ya At

With clear 1970's and 1980's funk, soul and hip-hop influences, both musically and visually (although not sure about the cultural appropriation of the native American headdress), JBrown & The Mic Smith have put together an infectious and quite commercial offering in "Where Ya At". I have listened to all of the music they have available on their Bandcamp website, and for me the obvious question is "why haven't they taken off"? I imagine it is just a matter of time. Surely offshore beckons? Both the videos on YouTube (from 2011) are for potential hit songs in their own right (this video and "Cookin' Soul"). The two know how to write strong hooks and the production values are high across all the material. I hope to hear a lot more from these guys in time. You can buy their music at the link below, which includes their latest single "Deja Vu" - a little piece of disco magic, which is probably their best so far.

http://jbrownmicsmith.bandcamp.com/



JBrown & The Mic Smith - Where Ya At (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Junica - Let Me Go Out

Nik Brinkman has the touch. A deft songwriter, producer, performer and aesthete, it is pretty clear to me that a major hit single/album will be his one day. I have already stated previously that I see potentially enormous success offshore at some stage. This offering is another typically talented combination of music and visuals, but judged against the high standards set by his previous material, it is not his best. A bit "samey", and the chorus doesn't lift quite as well as it has in other material. Can't win 'em all! (I still like it though.) I assume with a new album coming that we are in line for further treats. I personally would like to see some further variation of tempo, having enjoyed the "Eno-ish" music in his (very) short film, "True North". I understand he has now signed with "Let The People Speak", Matt Coleman's management group. It is great to see the business side falling into place. Looking forward to that album!



Junica - Let Me Go Out

MayaVanya & P Money - Turn Me Out ft. Kaleena Zanders

MayaVanya are ex-Croatia but have made a name for themselves as DJ's in New Zealand and Australia...and here we have them working perfectly with P-Money and Kaleena Zanders, a Los Angeles-based house artist. I am really posting this as I think P Money has done a superb production job, but the overall offering is very good. The track was recorded by Soraya Lapread and mixed by Evan Short. You can download the track at the link below.

http://soundcloud.com/p_money/mayavanya-p-money-turn-me-out



MayaVanya & P Money - Turn Me Out ft. Kaleena Zanders

Glass Owls - Let's Take The Road

I really like this band's sound. Tomas Nelson's distinctive vocals enmeshed with those jangling guitars has star quality written all over it. I am not sure this is their best song, but it is pretty good nonetheless. As with Tom Lark, I see these guys having substantial international potential, but it will require a move offshore to make it happen. After my recent New York sojourn, it seems to me that New York would be a good place to start as a band with as good an overall sound as this could really cut through. "Let's Take The Road" has the makings of a "sleeper". Dreamy and laid-back as this song is, I can imagine waking up one day and suddenly realizing I am in love with it, but I am not there yet. I do like it though. Djeisan Suskov is on the knobs here, further adding to the growing body of evidence he is one of New Zealand's better producers. The video is directed by Simon and Dominic Taylor.

You can buy the single at this link: http://glassowls.bandcamp.com/



Glass Owls - Let's Take The Road

K*SABA feat. HoneBeGood - Nubian Riot

The beats scene has crept up on me. The "Cosmic Compositions" Bandcamp site (from whence this track is sourced) has the following to say: "We feel there is huge similarity's between the Avant-Garde/Free Jazz movement of the 50's & 60's & the beat movement of Today. As both movements attempted to break down, extend & alter the conventions of their original genres (Jazz & Hip Hop) & were never afraid to experiment & improvise to create something that wasn't accepted commercially at the time." Even before reading this I had been thinking similarly. I purchased "Cosmic Compositions Avant Garde Series Vol.1" today, a combination of beats artists working with jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders' music as raw material. I highly recommend this 26 track collection. "Nubian Riot", featured in this post, is a collaboration between Karnan Saba (K*SABA), a Wellington-based multi-instrumentalist and beats producer, and HoneBeGood, a well-known Auckland rapper. HoneBeGood (sometimes known as "Johnny Rescue") and member of  "Side Steps Quintet" is part of the Young, Gifted and Broke collective (www.younggiftedandbroke.com). "Nubian Riot" is one of the better grooves I have enjoyed in recent times.

The Cosmic Compositions compilation can be purchased at the following link: http://cosmic-compositions.bandcamp.com/



K*SABA ft. HoneBeGood // Nubian Riot

Pop Mechanix - Jumping out a Window

From 1981, and one-of-the-great-bands-that-never-quite-went-anywhere-but-should've. Pop Mechanix had international success potentially in their hands with great songwriting, a "now" sound for 1981, and a mercurial front man in Andrew Snoid (McLennan). But legal issues plus the usual old-school "lets sort Australia out first before going global" approach sapped the initial energy behind the band. This remastering of what is now one of the great New Zealand pop songs, plus what is a very good video for 1981 makes it a surprisingly contemporary-looking addition to the NZMusic4U blog-post inventory. I do feel for the eggs though...



Pop Mechanix - Jumping out a Window (1981) Hi Res Remastered Audio Version

Janine and The Mixtape - I know it's wrong to say this, but it's on my mind...

Another magical tidbit from Janine and The Mixtape that hints at some very good material to come. Apparently the beat was put together on a plane with vocals added over the last day or so. Just "leaked" and I am loving it...



Janine and The Mixtape - I know it's wrong to say this, but it's on my mind...

Anna Coddington - Bolt

I had a chance meeting with the multi-talented (including karate!) Anna Coddington in an airport lounge the other day and this reminded me to look her music up, driven in part by my affection for her contribution to "Little Lotus EP", Benny Tones' charity project with profits going to children on the Myanmar/Thailand border. Anna's contribution was "Big Life", a slightly Caribbean mix of samples, simple beats, and engaging melody. What I particularly liked was hearing her music with textural layering, amidst a modestly electronic production environment. I personally would like to hear more material similarly developed. I looked up some YouTube videos and came across "Bolt" from the "Cat & Bird" album. A good song, well-produced with a great little video by Sally Tran. The subject matter is clear enough! You can have a listen to the album at the link below.

The "Cat & Bird" album is available to both listen and purchase at the following link: http://annacoddington.bandcamp.com/



Anna Coddington - Bolt

Spring Break - Baby You're Better

Channelling George Michael and Andrew Ridgely from the early 1980s, but sexier (!), here are the guys from Spring Break, a new project from Ryan McPhun (The Ruby Suns) and James Dansey (The Sneaks). Described as by some as "homo-erotic", this single is getting some good reviews both in New Zealand and the UK. You can buy the single at the link below:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-Youre-Better/dp/B008W3MGJ0




SPRING BREAK - BABY YOU'RE BETTER

Julia Deans - Broken Home

I love Julia Deans electronically immersed. I have to admit that I have known she is good (if not great), but never really warmed to her obvious talent. That is just my bias for multi-layered textures etc. But on the flight to where I am now (Boston), I have been listening over and over again to her contribution to The Little Lotus Project, a charity project set up for kids on the Myanmar/Thailand border (Benny Tones). I can't stop listening to "The Space In Between", then I walk into the hotel, do the usual, and discover this gem. Planets are aligning methinks. I just love this. The video is by Stephen Tilley.

You can buy The Little Lotus EP here: http://littlelotusproject.bandcamp.com/



Julia Deans - Broken Home

Connan Mockasin - Faking Jazz Together

A new video for a song from Connan Mockasin's 2010 (2011 re-release new name) album "Please Turn Me Into the Snat (Forever Dolphin Love). Monsieur Mockasin (real name: Connan Hosford) is very well-connected into the music scene in the UK, having been there since 2007. He has collaborated with Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) and has toured, or is touring with notables such as Radiohead, Pete and the Pirates, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Crowded House. This song "Faking Jazz Together" is a good example of the psychelic/atmospheric music that Connan is known for. Hang out with Connan for a few minutes...



Connan Mockasin - Faking Jazz Together (Official Video)

Dimmer - Cold Water

Shayne Carter's Dimmer is no longer but he has left us with a large reservoir of great videos. And this is one of them. Directed by Dylan Pharazyn with 3D animation by Gary Sullivan. In digital terms, this is quite an old video - June 2009. It still looks great (it is only 3 years of course!). The song "Cold Water" is from the "Degrees of Existence" album. The link below is for a NZ Herald article on Shayne Carter's latest plans.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10806318



DIMMER - Cold Water

Lips Live Review

Lips played at Spike Hill in Williamsburg, New York last night. Go to www.nzmusic4ulive.com for a review of her performance.

Streets of Laredo Live Review

I got to see Streets of Laredo live in Brooklyn, New York last night. The review of their performance is at www.nzmusic4ulive.com.

Lawrence Arabia - The Listening Times

"The Listening Times" is from Lawrence Arabia's recent album "The Sparrow" and follows on from the "Travelling Shoes" video which I posted back in July. I prefer this song I think. It is one of the best on what is a good album. From an NPR article linked below (showing the international reach of our protagonist), James Milne says this song is "about this kind of conversational dead end that happens at roughly 6 a.m., when you've been up all night partying. When the last vestiges of everyday humanity begin to ebb from the gathered personnel and they become conceited, dumb beasts, talking endlessly about being young and 'living in the moment.'". The video is by Simon Ward and is apparently based on 1960s Polish TV pop shows. I like it. "The Sparrow" is available for purchase at the following link:  http://www.lawrencearabia.com/

As an aside, for New Zealand musicians, James Milne's approach is a "how to" for marketing a musical niche globally. I am impressed by how he has done it. Of course, the material needs to be of the appropriate standard - which clearly it is.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2012/09/27/161906862/first-watch-lawrence-arabia-the-listening-times



Lawrence Arabia - "The Listening Times" Official Video

Loui the ZU - Fake Friends feat. Why S.L

It is pretty clear to me that one day Loui the ZU is going to have a hit single. I don't think this is it but much like with Janine and The Mixtape, all the necessary talent and material is there. I think this song is great, and I really enjoy Loui's delivery, however the production is just a little muddy, and there is some unnecessary distortion on the drum track to my ears. Maybe a remix? But don't get me wrong, this is a thumbs-up for Loui. Just a matter of time before something big happens. He is of course on the Critic's Choice shortlist for the New Zealand Music Awards, and there is good reason for that.



Loui the ZU - Fake Friends feat. Why S.L : (Official Video)

Louie Knuxx - 'Stan Howse'

I found this comment on the YouTube page for this video. Not particularly eloquent but sums it up for me: "louie knuxx you need to get your ass over to america!! a lot of us are tired of the typical "i got this i got that im like this im like that" type of shit that the majority around here is putting out" [danse1]. Couldn't agree further. Much of current hip-hop is formulaic and departs from the original premise of what I like to think of as cinematic musical street poetry. Occasionally someone comes along who has an authenticity, combined with an aesthetic, that cuts through, and Todd Williams aka Louie Knuxx is one of those. The "Stan Howse" song and video succeeds on all levels. Superb, non-intrusive, but haunting production by Jay Knight, a well-photographed and edited video, and of course a personal and defiant rap that uses the volatile life of Stan Howse from Bone, Thugs-N-Harmony as it's basis, which also brings with it a touch of sadness. I suspect a good time was had by all in the making of this video ;) . I like the ironic combination of party with the rap's content. I am very much looking forward to Louie Knuxx's upcoming EP "Dying Slow". You can find out more about Louie Knuxx at this link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/LOUIE-KNUXX/130103447007315



Louie Knuxx - 'Stan Howse' OFFICIAL VIDEO

Dianne Swann / Radiohead Duet; "How Can You Be Sure"

Dianne Swann, one of the New Zealand music industry's treasures, once a member of When The Cats Away (1980s), a founder member of The Julie Dolphin, is currently one of The Bads (both bands in partnership with the talented Brett Adams). This is the story of her career in the 1990s and her encounters with Radiohead. Her duet with Thom Yorke made it onto the Japanese edition of "The Bends", sadly in that country only. But there is more to this story...

Watch the video then find out more about The Bads at this link: http://thebads.com/biography.html



Dianne Swann / Radiohead Duet; "How Can You Be Sure"

Late Nyte Hype - We All Are

Late Nyte Hype, self-described as "straight power-pop", have been around since December 2011. Their debut single "So High" had some success earlier in the year and this is their latest offering. Auckland-based Kidz in Space have had more than a little to do with this - Josh Fountain on the production desk, and Ashley Hughes adding some useful words later in the song. I think it works. A little bit of radio sunshine for summer? You can buy the song at the link below:

http://itunes.apple.com/nz/album/we-all-are-single/id562823363



Late Nyte Hype - We All Are

Bryan Bell - Sure Seems A Long Way Down

One of my enduring disappointments is that this brilliant songwriter, arranger and producer did not see his career take off as a result of several singles released in the mid-2000s. Bryan Bell was one of the drivers behind the moderately successful (internationally that is) band "Dead Flowers". He went out on his own in the early 2000s and from what I know, didn't break (please correct me if needed). This is a travesty as his talent is plain to see. Each of his singles has been so easy to both respect and like, and this song, with its intentionally horrific video (censored version here) is one those songs I wish I had written. I am not up to date on what Bryan is doing right now. He deserves at least to be harvesting some substantial publishing dollars as a result of licensing the work seen here. You can see the uncensored version of this video as well as buy Bryan Bell's music at the following link: http://www.amplifier.co.nz/artist/17908/bryan-bell.html



Bryan Bell - Sure Seems A Long Way Down

The Eversons - Terminally Lame

Look what the wind blew in. The Eversons have delivered a re-working of "Terminally Lame" off the "Summer Feeling" album, and they have....delivered! Excellent (rather scary) video. Great song. I love that chorus - "bah bah bah, bah bah bah bah....etc". Great for someone as linguistically challenged as the writer of this blog (something that has gradually become more apparent, the more I am required to write). I am not being sarcastic. It is a fun song and at least we will all know the words to this chorus at their next gig - which I am looking forward to catching when I can. You can buy The Eversons' music at the following link:

http://lilchiefrecords.storenvy.com/collections/22128-the-eversons



The Eversons - Terminally Lame

Honour Roll Change - Scratch 22

It's been nagging at me for a couple of days. The imagery in the Scratch 22 "Cold Hands" video just keeps on coming back at me. Even dreamt about it. The song and visuals work so well together, and the message to me is clear...although I will leave that for readers/viewers to decide. This lovely little piece of art is so good, I need to recognize it - so it is Honour Roll bound. "Moss Green Cape" from Family Cactus has been replaced as a result. As I have said before...this is not a reflection of "Moss Green Cape's" quality, but more that the Honour Roll must eventually change over time. I am really looking forward to Scratch 22's new album.

Cavell - The Crowd feat. Sidney Diamond

Here it is, the long anticipated video from Cavell - "The Crowd". Sidney Diamond adds some words that most NZ musicians would identify with. I have previously posted Cavell as I like what he does with his production - sparse when it needs to be, but with complexity and layering where it makes sense. There is a greater use of (noticeable) delay and reverb in this song and it works well with the simple piano line in particular. Nice voice. Not sure about the ending, but I can live with that as the rest is pretty difficult to dislike. A very good new song from one of New Zealand's up and coming R&B/Hip Hop talents.

This song is on the EP "Last Summer" out on iTunes and available at this link: http://itunes.apple.com/nz/album/last-summer-ep/id562818706



Cavell - The Crowd feat. Sidney Diamond

Lips - One Not Two

In anticipation of catching Lips live at Spike Hill in Brooklyn, New York on October 13th, I thought it prudent to catch up with Steph Brown's back catalogue so purchased "Lips Songs". Released in October 2010, and from which "One Not Two" hails, it's not really an album so much as an extended EP, but well worth the $9 I paid for it. I like "One Not Two" (this video) but my favourite song off the album is "The Man From Amsterdam". The crisp minimalist, stripped-back pop-soul of Lips that one has heard recently in "Everything to me" and "We don't have much time" is very much present in this album and I love it - well all songs except "Scarlett & the Impala", which has yet to grab me. But that is a minor issue. I can't help think that this music is going to show up on movie soundtracks all over the place. I am not great with my verbiage typically, and was searching for some words to describe the album that would overcome that limitation and I ended up with "evocative" and "contemplative". Not sure if that completely encapsulates the album, but do with it what you will. There is clearly a reason I am not a professional writer. I do like this album, and recommend it. You can buy it at the link below:

http://lipssongs.bandcamp.com/album/lips-songs



Lips - One Not Two (2010)

Funkommunity - Dandilion

This song comes from an album I highly recommend - "Chequered Thoughts". Funkommunity is Isaac Aesili and Rachel Fraser, and an ad-hoc range of talented musicians. Their music is an integration that works. A range of influences pulled in to create what ends up as an interesting electro funk/soul blend. You can buy the music at this link: http://funkommunity.bandcamp.com/



Funkommunity - Dandilion