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The following, slightly out-of-date article from NZ Musician is a good introduction to the band.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