Death In Texas - Oil & The Water

I apologize for what I am now about to write. I am no writer despite the fact I try to do it. I was looking for an analogy for why I like this band. It came to me that maybe it's a little like growing up. I hated coffee when I tried it as a five year old. There was no way you could get me to take a second sip. But now of course I love it. Part of that is clearly the narcotic effect, but the complexity of the taste (when done well), and the challenges it throws at the 'obvious' sweet tastes of cakes et al are rewarding. Death in Texas is a similar experience aesthetically. The first time I heard the band, the proximity to 'contrived' worried me. Still, I got over that hump. This is music that is consciously constructed - to be listened to. Unless one is into modern dance (imagine a 48 year old!), it is almost impossible to dance to. But to hear it live, on a cold, damp night in London, in a bar with very little going on (and a mix from hell) I was struck by the complexities Ruth Searle, Kane Power, and departing bassist Terry Blake, were deliberately introducing...which were easily embraced. I found the gig rewarding to listen to. Death in Texas is a very interesting band. They might struggle a bit at the moment because they are so hard to pigeonhole aurally. There is also that proximity to 'contrived'. That, I have left behind now. Mark my words, if this band can keep going, there is longevity, and recognition to be had. It is art. This is their latest single "Oil & the Water". You can buy the band's material at the link below.

http://deathintexas.bandcamp.com/

Death In Texas - Oil & The Water

Glass Vaults - Ancient Gates

I travel a lot and it possibly seems interesting to some. Sometimes it is for me too. But I live with the on-going frustration that I continually miss fantastic New Zealand musicians/bands playing at home. Glass Vaults at the San Francisco Bath House last year was one. The band was one of my discoveries of 2012, and yes there were many (probably because I started writing a blog!). I ended up buying everything that I could find from the guys. There is not enough. I am not going to try and describe it in detail, but it IS perfect balance between ambience, and 'going nowhere', which sometimes 'ambient' is apt to do. There must be something about Wellington that brings these ambient crossover artists into being. Rhian Sheehan, Module, The Impending Adorations et al. Nik Brinkman also in his quieter moments. I am sure Loop Recordings Aot(ear)oa. has more than a little to do with it. This video is beautifully put together with direction by Rowan Pierce and Richard Larsen in collaboration with Georgette Brown. Director of Photography was Matt Henley. You can buy Glass Vaults material at the link below. The new single is a free download.

http://glassvaults.bandcamp.com/

She's So Rad - Time

This song deserved a great video, and "Time" (released second half of 2012), gets what it deserved. Edward de Vere directed, art-directed, styled and edited the video, with most of it filmed in Europe, a small amount in New Zealand.  It's not hard to guess which bit. The video was produced by Mike Bielski. This is going to be one of my videos of the year and I am toying (NPI) with putting it on the NZMusic4U Honour Roll. She's So Rad's music has an aesthetic acuity, and it seems they surround themselves with like-minds, such that the overall package they come up with is immensely enjoyable. "Confetti" was a great song/video combination, but this easily betters it. Jeremy Toy and Anji Sami have now released two tracks from their second album, and both are 'driving', but gorgeous slices of 'shoe-gazey' dream-pop. New Zealand seems to do this sort of thing quite well when it wants to. For more on the band, and to buy what they have to offer, please go to the link below.

http://shessorad.com/

Suren Unka - Early

I gave you Suren Unka's latest gem "Alice" a few days ago. Here is a video from May 2012 which uses the skills of another director, Fergus Burnett. In both videos there is a clear and simple vision which works very well. Not sure what is going on in this one, but I love the look of it. Clearly a nice vibe going down in West Auckland, although not enough to keep this little "red-eye" awake/alive!  Suren Unka is the drummer from Auckland band The Beach Pigs, but has now released enough solo material to be recognized as a stand-alone electronic artist. Vocals on this track are by Dahnu Graham, who is vocalist with The Beach Pigs.You can download all Suren Unka's music for free at the link below. Another one of those musicians who shouldn't be giving it away.

http://surenunka.bandcamp.com/

Suren Unka - Alice

Although ironically, being almost unwatchable as a result of the frame-staggering, this video for "Alice" is for me one of those little masterpieces where vision wins over budget. Congratulations to Alexander Hoyles for bringing what is a simple, elegant piece of electronica to life. I only post music I like on NZMusic4U, and the dopamine kicked in pretty strongly after the first couple of minutes of this song. Suren Unka is the drummer from the Beach Pigs but already has a reasonable body of work as a solo electronic artist available at the Bandcamp link below. I'm loving it. And its all free! I will be downloading it all. Someone to watch.

http://surenunka.bandcamp.com/

Sola Rosa - Promise Ft. Olivier Daysoul

I have always liked Sola Rosa. A little disappointed with a live performance last year, but maybe that was just me. I had very high expectations, and pretty much everyone else seemed to like the performance. This is a band that creates some great grooves, layering rhythmic textures upon each other. The emphasis is on riff and hook over melody, which is sometimes a challenge for me, but when they deliver like they do with "Promise", the second single off the album "Low and Behold, High and Beyond", then the absence of melodic variation is of little issue. Andrew Spraggon is the main man in the group but he seems to have built a stable team around him, including Cherie Mathieson, Spikey Tee, Ben White, Matt Short and Julien Dyne.  Olivier Daysoul was worked with remotely on "Promise", the bulk of the recording done in New Zealand, but the vocals being laid down in London. The track was mixed by Yaron Fuchs, someone with a resume of some repute, with mastering by Ricardo Gutierrez who has previously done work for Justin Timberlake and Just Blaze. The video was a UK/NZ co-production directed by Mikey Rockwell of Rockwell Music in London, the New Zealand segment being photographed by Shae Sterling. A great video, which benefits from London wearing a touch of winter icing sugar. You can buy the single and album at the link below. There's plenty more to buy there as well. I will be buying the album for sure.

http://store.solarosa.com/

Promise Ft. Olivier Daysoul - Sola Rosa (Official Video)

Kings - Living Like Kings, Acting Like Queens

In a challenging and rapidly changing market environment, it is important that bands adapt to the evolution of their target market. It is from that perspective that The Naked and Famous (TNAF), who have always, and deliberately, targeted the optimal brand settings for "their" demographic, went one step further and employed global brand consultants "Demogra". It was a challenging process, and one that enormously well-endowed talent, Thom Powers, found it difficult to adapt to, principally in terms of changes to the "look" of the band. The rest of the band has had no issue with the consultants' proposed changes, these changes being where they had wanted to take the brand identity of the band for some time. Integrity has always been important to the band. For that reason they have decided to "release" Alisa Xayalith from her contract. She was happy to move on, being an enthusiast for the new direction, principally as a groupie. She is a traditionalist apparently. "Brand transition" is always a complex process, thus in order to continue to sell TNAF back catalogue, they decided to go with a small evolution of their identity. And so the band has become "Kings". The bands first single and video "Living Like Kings, Acting Like Queens" is exciting, edgy, and a bit rebellious, following their recent touring activity as a new all-male group. A natural progression for a talented bunch of guys who have found an aesthetic "home" for the next 12 months or so.

Rhian Sheehan - Little Sines

The "Stories from Elsewhere" album is a little beauty. This wonderful animated video channels a little of the toy-shop like atmosphere of the album. The video was animated by Matt Pitt with illustration by the very talented visual artist, Kieran Rynhart. In Rhian Sheehan's words, "'Little Sines' was conceived on my baritone ukulele and an old 80's toy sampler I use to record and playback sine waves on. I then physically created the main melody on a handmade DIY music-box I own, but didn't really think it was a particularly interesting melody until my young son began singing it relentlessly. I then knew I had an idea worth pursuing. This melody pops up throughout the album in various forms". "Ambient" is not for everyone, but I think where it often succeeds is through active texture dynamics, not droning on as the genre is apt to do. There has never been a danger of that with Rhian Sheehan, who is a masterful composer, arranger and producer, and knows how to keep motifs/textures from overstaying their welcome. I have all his releases and most are played on a regular basis...although my favourites are selected tracks from "Tiny Blue Biosphere" (2005), "Seven Tales of the North Wind"(2011) and Standing in Silence" (2009). You can buy Rhian Sheehan's music at the link below.

http://rhiansheehan.bandcamp.com/

Raiza Biza - They Told Me

There is something going on with the intersection of the three talents behind this video. Raiza Biza, ex-Rwanda, Zaire (DRC), South Africa and Wellington - now of "the Tron", is a gifted storyteller and lyrical stylist, and it seems he is building confidence with every release. My 2012/13 summer was filled with his first album, "Dream Something", which remains a favourite. Crime Heat is a beats producer who seems to have a very good ear for riff, texture, dynamics and song construction - although the last is the least proven so far. The first three he consistently delivers on - at a very high level. And Jay Knight, an 18/19 years old graphic arts student from Wellington, already a proven beats producer (see Louie Knuxx "Stan Howse"), has an audio-visual eye that belies his years. Watch all these careers. There is more to come and I can't help thinking if they do it right, something could happen offshore. They should consider working together for an extended period as this combination is working. "They Told Me" is from Raiza Biza's upcoming album "Summer". I love that chorus. You can buy his music at the link below.

http://raizabiza.bandcamp.com/

Module - The Pieces Fit

Jeremiah Ross is one of those Wellington artists that puts out reliably good content, most of which I own, and also has managed to create a career out of his music, recently as a composer for video games. Module was developed in 2003 as an outlet for his solo material which tends to be electronic, although he is a talented instrumentalist as well. I first came upon him when he played live with Rhian Sheehan and Jess Chambers at the San Francisco Bath House in 2005. What a great performance that was. "The Pieces Fit" is from his latest album "Imagineering", released through Escape Artists Recordings. Jeremiah is published by Mushroom Music. The nicely-put-together hybrid animated video was shot by Marty Williams, with the animation by Matt Pitt. You can buy "Imagineering" at the link below.

http://module.bandcamp.com/