Towers 'Brontide'

After a year in the making Towers (Jesse Finn) are set to release their debut EP Brontide this Saturday 6 August.

Described as a nostalgic dreamland, Brontide explores a visceral narrative of loss, touching on wasted youth and fear of a li fe lived unfulfilled.

The groups first professional effort was recorded and produced in Australia’s Gold Coast at Loose Stones Studio– a modest outfit bearing hefty credentials, with artists such as Matt Corby, Broods, Dead Letter Circus, Guards of May and Jarryd James having graced its halls.

Internationally credited producer and studio head, Matt Bartlem, mixed the record. His credits include working with leading artists such as Angus & Julia Stone, Jarryd James, Dead Letter Circus, The Getaway Plan, Matt Corby and more. Matt and his studio are gaining a reputation as one of the best Pop/Rock producers in Australia.

The EP was mastered at Sterling Sound in New York by Grammy award-winning mastering engineer Greg Calbi who has worked with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Tame Impala, Band of Horses, Bon Iver, The National and many more.

The EP’s soundscape is a bringing together of the 5 piece’s acoustic dog-days and their developing preoccupation with synthesized and electronic elements. Cinematic percussion alongside the relentless drive of acoustic guitars give Brontide movement and life allowing dual female and male vocals to take centre stage.

Brontide means 'the distant rumbling of thunder'. The name came about soon after the group finished work on what is now the opening track on the EP 'Supernova'. The track had a darkness and maturity to it that was new to their sound and felt ‘like a coming storm’ – and so Brontide was born.

Towers will take the stage for the first time in 6 months at Wellington institution Bodega on August 6 to launch Brontide in style with support from UK based Kiwi songstress Clara van Wel.

The group will also be announcing a name change to coincide with the launch.

Brontide will be available on Spotify, iTunes, Tidal, Apple Music and more from Saturday 6 August. Tickets for the EP release are available from Under the Radar.

Moving Stuff Release Their First Single Before Kicking Off Their New Zealand Tour

Singer/Songwriter Marina Bloom and Michael Davis, lyricist teamed up last year and created a number of songs in a variety of genres. In January this year Marina found Mike Cranna, seasoned drummer, which formed the core of the band that was to become New Zealand’s own Moving Stuff. In the blink of an eye, it seemed, they had been joined by Josh Brown, lead guitarist, Mike Cranna, drummer Chris Nalder on bass and Graeme Fuller on piano. In that same blink of an eye, these experienced musicians have come together to record and release their new single “Houston We Have A Problem.”

The band’s influences come through strong in this track, including nods to legends like Elton John’s “Rocket Man” and the late David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” and “The Man Who Sold The World” in the lyrics. It is a haunting slow rock track full of piano and guitar melodies that are irresistible, and Marina’s sweet voice is as beautiful as she is. 

“Houston We Have A Problem” is indeed, very moving stuff. The song is available right now on Spotify and at their ReverbNation site, where they are the #1 most listened to band from Auckland on the site. Other Moving Stuff tracks include ‘Me Myself and I’, ‘Your Guitar’, ‘Long Distance Love’, ‘Someone Else’s Life’ and ‘Beautiful Girl’. 

Marina Bloom, a recording artist (with Eastern European origins) had already released a few songs in a variety genres based on Michael Davis's lyrics. One of them, “Some Else's Life” took the American Akademia Award for the Best Pop Song of February 2016.  Akademia said of their song, “A tour de force amalgamation of smooth electronic stylings and exultant dance rock beats yields a pop jam that will liven up any party place.”

With the formation of the band, Marina is much clearer about the direction she wants for her music to go: "We have recently written a few songs which started shaping our style and our direction. It’s a fusion of pop, indie and electronica which we are excited to perform live. And it’s possible because we use the electronic drum kit on stage.”

The band will be setting off in support of the new single Houston We Have a Problem across New Zealand. They will begin their tour in Auckland and tour throughout the rest of 2016.

Eva Prowse 'The Wannabe'

On the eve of the release of her sophomore album Humid Nights on August 26th, Wellington musician Eva Prowse reveals her lead single 'The Wannabe'.

'The Wannabe' is a catchy electro-pop track conjuring the likes of Laurie Anderson, Kate Bush, Talking Heads, and HAIM with 80's synth breaks, syncopated vocals and layered harmonies.

A lamentation of sorts, 'The Wannabe' is about being the uncool kid, enveloped in an upbeat homage to the Spice Girls on the 20th anniversary of the release of their first single 'Wannabe'.

Humid Nights is a MIDI-pop album inspired by the awkwardness of life and music software, growing up in the 80s, 90s and today, drunken fights in hot countries, small towns and big cities, bad decisions and instant regret.

'The Wannabe' is available for free download from Bandcamp. Pre-sales for Humid Nights are also now available from Bandcamp. Pre-order Humid Nights and receive instant downloads of singles 'The Wannabe' and 'No Man' (a Game of Thrones kick-ass ladies inspired 80's synth ballad).

Limited edition signed physical CDs can also be pre-purchased and Include a digital pre-order of Humid Nights. 

 Listen to 'The Wannabe' on soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/evaprowse/thewannabe

Merv Pinny 'Ob (Can You Hear The Children Cry)

Kerikeri based singer songwriter Merv Pinny is adding his voice and a bit more to help highlight the plight of growing numbers of children being made refugees by war and extremist ideology.

Proceeds due to him from his latest release, “OB (can you hear the children cry)” will all go to selected charities dealing with children in crises.

The song, which he wrote, performed and produced under his own label MMusic had its genesis in the international news reports of conflicts throughout the Middle East, and particularly those in Syria and Iran.

“And I say in the song, I didn’t want to be the last man to speak up about the situation. The song is how I can give voice to how I feel and how I can hopefully convey that to others in a compelling helpful way

“He is hoping the song and video clip will strike a chord amongst aware and caring people and raise a helpful amount of money to help the children crises.

“OB (can you hear the children cry)” is available on iTunes. To help promote the song (and the level of donations) Pinny also produced an accompanying music video. Which has been labelled as a hard hitting music video with a message.

APRA Silver Scroll Awards – 2016 Top 20

Emerging talent sits alongside some of the most prominent names in New Zealand music in this year’s rich and varied list of Top 20 songs vying for the coveted APRA Silver Scroll Award.

A massive paki paki for our MMF artists named in the Top 20 in line for this years Silver Scroll -

Seth Haapu, LEISURE (Scott Maclachlan), Louis Baker (Cushla Aston), The Phoenix Foundation (Craig Pearce),Dave Dobbyn (Lorraine Barry), Tami Neilson, Mice on Stilts (Dylan Keating) Shayne P Carter (Scott Muir), Thomas Oliver (Cushla Aston) and Laughton Kora (Jaz Kapow)

The 2016 APRA Silver Scroll Award Top 20 are:

SONG	WRITTEN BY	PERFORMED BY
10 Years	Seth Haapu	Seth Haapu
A Lake	James Milne	Lawrence Arabia
All Eyes In The Room	Gareth Thomas	Gareth Thomas
All Over You	Djeisan Suskov/Jaden Parkes /Josh Fountain/Thomas Young /Jordan Arts	Leisure
August Song	Anji Sami	The Sami Sisters
Buried By The Burden	Devin Abrams/Louis Baker	Pacific Heights feat. Louis Baker
Don't Rate That	David Dallas/Jordan Iusitini /Aaron Iusitini	David Dallas
Dream	Lydia Cole	Lydia Cole
Give Up Your Dreams	Samuel Scott/Christopher O'Connor/Lukasz Buda /Conrad Wedde/William Ricketts /Thomas Callwood	The Phoenix Foundation
Harmony House	David Dobbyn/Samuel Scott /Lukasz Buda	Dave Dobbyn
If I Move To Mars	Thomas Oliver	Thomas Oliver
Love Will Be A River	Holly Arrowsmith	Holly Arrowsmith with Fly My Pretties
March	Mara Tekahika (Mara TK) /Deva Mahal/David Wright	Electric Wire Hustle feat. Deva Mahal
One Question	Frank Eliesa/Swapnil Gomez/Kenji Iwamitsu-Holdaway/Jong-Yun Lee/ Laughton Kora/Campbell Duncan	Yoko-Zuna feat. Laughton Kora
Pedestrian Support League	Emily Littler/Billy Rogers /Alex Brown/Christopher Varnham	Street Chant
Pocket	Rebecca Melrose	Miloux
Stuck In Melodies	Andrew Keoghan/Wayne Bell	Andrew Keoghan
The First Man	Tami Neilson/Jay Neilson	Tami Neilson
The Hours	Benjamin Morley	Mice On Stilts
We Will Rise Again	Shayne Carter	Shayne P Carter

Created with the HTML Table Generator

Widely considered the most prestigious accolade in New Zealand music, the APRA Silver Scroll Award recognises outstanding achievement in the craft of songwriting. What makes the award unique is that the winner is decided by vote of APRA’s members – more than 10,000 New Zealand songwriters and composers.

Top 20 member voting is now open, and closes on Sunday, August 14.

Having last year marked the 50th presentation of the APRA Silver Scroll Award, the event is now well and truly woven into the vibrant tapestry that is the New Zealand music scene. 2016’s Top 20 further reinforces that, with a strong list of songs and songwriters that are destined to leave an indelible impact not just on New Zealanders but on those around the world.

“It is our pleasure to celebrate the work of New Zealand's songwriters and composers at the APRA Silver Scroll Awards. A song can take an age or a moment to write but the pleasure great songs give us are rewards to treasure” says APRA AMCOS’ Anthony Healey.

“These songs come from the new and old, the north and south and span all genre. They are connected only by the fact they've been written here in New Zealand and the fact they are each, in their own unique way, excellent” he adds.

Past recipients of the prestigious award include a long list of iconic Kiwi music stalwarts - from Dave Dobbyn, Don McGlashan and Shona Laing to Neil Finn, Bic Runga, and Ray Columbus. They’re joined by a younger generation of music makers that include James Milne & Luke Buda, Ella Yelich-O’Connor (Lorde) & Joel Little, and Aaron Young, Alisa Xayalith & Thom Powers (The Naked and Famous).

The APRA Silver Scroll Award will be presented at Vector Arena in Auckland on Thursday 29th September. The other awards presented on the night are:

APRA Maioha Award, celebrating exceptional waiata featuring te reo Māori
SOUNZ Contemporary Award, celebrating excellence in contemporary composition
APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award
APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award

As a part of the celebrations APRA will also be inducting a songwriter/s into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame. 

The Curse Of The Chills with Q&A + Live Acoustic Performance

Following the release of last year’s critically acclaimed ‘Silver Bullets’ and the completion of the band’s European tour, Fire are releasing a live album of a Martin Phillipps (Scott Muir) solo show on July 22nd.

To mark the occasion, Martin will be returning to the UK for a special screening of a new feature documentary about the band - ‘The Curse of the Chills’. The event will take place at the Genesis Cinema in Mile End, and will include a live solo performance of Chills songs by Martin Phillipps, along with a Q&A with Martin and the film’s director, Rob Curry.

‘The Curse Of The Chills’ is a major new documentary that features never-before-seen live footage, interviews and archive. With exclusive access to the Phillipps family home video archive, the film provides an intimate portrait of the man behind the Chills. Exploring the source of his creativity and his songwriting aesthetic, the film also follows Martin on his journey from scenester musician to international star.

It also charts his downward spiral, as interest in the band waned and depression and addiction set in. It’s an age-old rock and roll story, and one that provides real insight through Martin’s unflinchingly honest testimony about his heroin addiction and recovery – and the potentially life-threatening medical conditions that resulted from it. Happily, there is a final act to the story, and the film is ultimately one of redemption and vindication of living a life where you stay true to your beliefs – whatever the cost.

Andrew Keoghan – New video premieres on U.S. music website Earmilk

American music publication Earmilk is premiering Andrew Keoghan's (Lisa Paris) latest single Queues at Dani Keys; a gender-bending nod to the 'new romantic' videos of the eighties. 

Directed by Auckland VFX whiz Puck Murphy, who has made videos for The Phoenix Foundation, the Queues At Dani Keys clip is a quantum fashion piece; a multi-dimensional nightclub, where one's alter ego seduces its' other facade, in a wry commentary on vanity, reinvention and the perils of big city ambition.

The song will feature on Keoghan's second L.P Every Orchid Offering, out July 29 on Fuchsia Kick via Rhythmethod and DRM in NZ, and like the rest of the album, demonstrates a percussion-heavy approach.  It features New York's Brazilian percussionist Marivaldo Dos Santos, who has worked with Sting, The Fugees and Lauryn Hill.

Every Orchid Offering was predominantly written during a two-month period of isolation on west coast beach, Piha, the album is a collection of 10 songs that seek to make sense of a peripatetic existence between New Zealand and New York, where Keoghan relocated in 2013.  It's a series of personal vignettes about transience, sexuality, conceived gender roles, commitment, lust and modern reincarnation, combining a pop sensibility with contemporary R&B, electronic and orchestral elements.

The forthcoming album features duets with Hollie Fullbrook (Tiny Ruins) and Chelsea Nikkel (Princess Chelsea), along with contributions from some of Keoghan's other cohorts from The Ruby Suns, The Phoenix Foundation and Lawrence Arabia.

Dave Weir 'Food For Thought'

Dave Weir (Reuben Bonner) - New Gum Sarn, The Nightshades, Te Huhu, Space Creeps - releases his debut solo EP 'Food For Thought' on August 18th. 

Psychedelic Pop that blows through the house like a warm wind from the 1960s. Dave Weir's first singles 'Sweet Lily White' and 'She Of The Countryside' show a glimpse of the EP to come. 

'Food For Thought' was recorded in the bedroom of Tim Shann (The Eversons) and co-produced with Jacob Moore (The Checks, The Eversons). It nods to Dave Weir's first loves The Kinks, Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles and David Bowie with a breezy and cheerful stomp.

He will be also be doing two release shows with support from Oscar Dowling. 
Aug 18th, Wine Cellar, Auckland
Aug 20th Moon, Wellington