Computers Want Me Dead - Little Steps

A stylish offering from Computers Want Me Dead (CWMD), who are Sam Harvey and Damien Daniels. With previous histories in a range of indie/electronic bands, they met in late 2007 and after discovering shared interests , they very quickly formed CWMD in 2008. The band's sound has morphed a little since they first started and I have to say I am warmer to it now than I was previously. Less noise, more melody. But that's just me. "Little Steps" is well-produced and musically I can't fault it. The video looks pretty good for what was probably a small budget but I do think it misses, and therefore slightly weakens, the strong "taking little steps" hook in the song, therefore probably doesn't sell the song as well as it could. Still, all in all, reiterating what I said at the beginning, it is a classy offering overall.



Little Steps by Computers Want Me Dead (Official)

The Eversons - Could It Ever Get Better?

The Lil' Chief Records website cites The Eversons influences as the Modern Lovers and Pavement, and it is clear to me that from a wider commercial context they might fit into the Weezer "pop-punk" genre. There is clearly a large global market for this. I can imagine the band getting traction offshore after some extended live work. The Eversons' songs are witty, fun, often acerbic, lyrically-driven and can have a socio-political sub-text, with this song "Could It Ever Get Better" being about the ageing process (snap). The innovative video is by Trophy Wife Productions. You can buy their new album "Summer Feeling" at this link here: http://theeversons.tumblr.com/. I have posted a live version of their song "Creepy" at the NZMusic4U LIVE website (see the link at the top right of this page).



The Eversons - Could It Ever Get Better?

The Datsuns - Gods Are Bored

Blood on the frets! (0:36). These guys have always scared me a little. Maybe that's because I represent the capitalist system, or maybe I'm just timid...or maybe they're just really mean. I cannot fault this. Fantastic they are back with a new album and this song bodes well. Is it 10 years since I first heard them? They don't seem to look any different. They actually might sound a little better. The new album is "Death Rattle Boogie". This single "The Gods Are Bored" is downloadable for free through the Datsuns website here:  http://www.thedatsuns.com/



The Datsuns - Gods Are Bored

Shapeshifter - Monarch

It annoys me that we have to call them "New Zealand Shapeshifter" now. But that is the international branding reality now they are being pushed by Hospital Records. This video gives a little taste of how good Shapeshifter might be live i.e. amazing. They are typically very exciting, and the decision to go with live drums those many years ago serves them so well. P-Digsss gives them the soul that was missing early on the life of the band. The reason this video is not at www.nzmusic4u-live.blogspot.com is its not really live. I think there is a new album on its way. Can't wait.



Shapeshifter - Monarch

Opossom - Fly

The Nielson brothers (ex-Mint Chicks) are clever, and whats more, they have an integrity to their art that stands out. Integrity builds careers, and in this case is slowly, but quite surely, building both the brothers a global following. (Kody Nielson in Opossom, and Ruban Nielson in Unknown Mortal Orchestra). Much of contemporary music is so derivative that it has become difficult to define a specific sound that one owns from scratch. But Opossom has managed to create something which I can't pigeonhole, and thus probably implies that they are getting close to being truly original. It has taken me some time to warm to this (that is my problem - not Opossom's), but I have got to the point where I am purchasing their music. This track "Fly" is off their new album "Electric Hawaii" and is one of my favourites. The album is available to purchase at http://opossom.bandcamp.com/. I will post on Unknown Mortal Orchestra (UMO) at a later date. You can find a great live video of UMO at www.nzmusic4u-live.blogspot.com.



Opossom - Fly

David Dallas - Big Time

"Big Time" is the song that brought a new wave of interest (from outside the NZ hip-hop core fan base) into David Dallas' music back in 2009, with even Kanye West liking it enough to post it on his blog. The song has since been used in a range of commercial-type applications e.g. as background music for the 2011 French Open promos on ESPN. With a video by the talented Special Problems team (seen many times on this blog), this is also the song that got me to the point that I started to buy David Dallas' music. For me, he is one of the few New Zealand hip hop artists that I think has the potential to have an extended international career, and it is clear his thinking is sufficiently global, albeit that might be against a backdrop of restricted resources. If there was an artist that could do with a fiscal push, David Dallas would probably fit the criteria



David Dallas - Big Time

Junica - And It Hurts

The last post was about a very good songwriter (Annah Mac) so we will carry on that theme. Mark my words, Nik Brinkman will be a wealthy man one day. A superb writer of (often elegant) pop songs, as well as an artist and aesthete, "And It Hurts" is a very good example of why Mr Brinkman, who presents himself as "Junica", has such a promising future (ok, from my very limited perspective). A beautifully constructed pop song, well produced and locked into the current zeitgeist, it is probably an offshore label's dream, and from what I have read, he has already locked in a publishing deal with EMI and has several labels courting him. Imagine "And It Hurts" broken down into an acoustic arrangement. It would still work. I believe he will sell many songs to other artists and from what I have heard so far, at least a few will hit. But for me, the key indicator of why he will be successful is that he clearly looks outward, embraces a more global aesthetic, and is prepared to take a few risks, spending the time offshore building a base from the ground up. I understand from online interview material that he was planning to spend many months on the road, offshore. With that work ethic, I look forward to seeing what the future holds. And of course, this video at time of writing only has 9,321 views. Unappreciated at home as per the usual.



Junica - And It Hurts