SABOTAGE THEORY RETURN TO THE SOUTH ISLAND

Sabotage Theory (Alex Newfield), the Rage Against the Machine tribute band are returning to the South Island with shows in Dunedin and their hometown of Christchurch later this month.

Joining them for this mini-tour are the Deftones, Korn (Chch show only) and Alice in Chains tribute bands making it a massive live show featuring music from some of the world's greatest hard rock bands .

Over the past 4 years Sabotage Theory have been taking their Rage Against the Machine live show all over New Zealand and its no coincidence in this time a swarm of tribute bands have popped up across the the country, reinvigorating the local live music scene and appealing to rock music lovers who maybe haven't been to see a local band play in years.

With the same hard-hitting and aggressive rock/rap style that made Rage Against the Machine one of the world’s biggest rock acts Sabotage Theory offer kiwi fans the experience to re-live the intensity of a Rage show  with all the the hits such as ‘Bulls on Parade’, ‘Know Your Enemy’, ‘Wake Up’ and of course crowd favourite ‘Killing in the Name’ plus many more from all of Rage’s studio albums.

Friday 24th March: Re-Fuel Bar, Dunedin

Saturday 25th March: New City Hotel, Christchurch

featuring;

Rage Against the Machine by Sabotage Theory

Alice in Chains by Alice Would?

Deftones by Tone-Def

Korn by Kron (Chch show only)

Tickets available from Cosmic Ticketing; instore or online www.cosmicticketing.co.nz

THEIA OPENING FOR TEGAN AND SARA'S ONLY NZ SHOW

Live Nation New Zealand are proud to announce the support act for the return of Canada’s Tegan & Sara’s only NZ show at The Bruce Mason Theatre on March 11th.

Theia – one of New Zealand’s most exciting emerging acts, released her first official single ‘Roam’ in August 2016. It's since had more than five million plays on Spotify and continues to grow. Her second single 'Champagne Supernova' has just been released, accompanied by a stunning video made in collaboration with the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

Having supported Broods on their summer tour of New Zealand, Theia is excited to be opening for Tegan & Sara in New Zealand;

"I love how quirky and edgy they are and admire their girl-power, punk-pop attitude. I first heard them on a Grey's Anatomy soundtrack when I was a teenager and it’s so cool that I now get to open for them."

Tegan and Sara - Canadian twin sisters - have racked up an impressive collection of numbers in their 17-year career, selling more than one million albums, earning one Double Platinum and seven Gold certifications, taking home three Juno Awards, claiming two Polaris Prize nominations and a Grammy nomination.

The March 11th show marks the first true chance for Kiwi fans enjoy a full set from the pair, last in New Zealand to open for Jack Johnson in 2010.
 

TEGAN AND SARA

With support from Theia

BRUCE MASON CENTRE, AUCKLAND

SATURDAY MARCH 11

For complete tour and ticketing information, visit:

www.teganandsara.com & www.livenation.co.nz

ALBUM LAUNCH: JULIE LAMB – ORDINARY DAYS

Ordinary Days, the fourth and finest album from Julie Lamb and her fantastic band will be launched Saturday, March 11, Mac’s Function Centre, Wellington, 7.30-11.00pm. Entry is FREE!

The title of Julie Lamb’s new album might claim “Ordinary Days” – but it was clearly a special time in the studio, magic happening and lightning bottled this fourth time around.

The Wellington-based singer/songwriter and bandleader can boast of a career highpoint with the 11 songs here, tunes traversing the funk, soul and pop fields as they always have but now, rightfully, a band sound has cemented. This is the fourth outing for Julie and band but some of the members are caught here for the first time. It’s a band sound that’s been building across the last decade – vocal arrangements supported by horns, all of it swimming in the liquid tone of the guitar and lapping sound of the bass and drums.

Ordinary Days is the soundtrack to a summer Wellington might never have – at least not all in a row. The 11 songs here ride on funky guitar lines and the soothing sass from the saxophone and trombone. The snare drum snap signals a finger-click call to the rest of the band and as Lamb shares her tales of sleeplessness and the pressures of work and mental health, of the fight to get through each day and the right to wear a smile at the start of any night (and hopefully right through from there) she’s supported by the warmth and thrill of both the band and her choir of backing singers (Debra Rock-Evans, Ree Thomson, Miranda Turner). Theirs is a collective sound to drink in, the perfect satiation for the musically parched. Sunshine bursts through with the title track’s effortless exuberance, Hashtag On A Good Day is an a capella ode to the capital city’s weather – recalling the songs and style of When The Cat’s Away and The Front Lawn. Elsewhere there’s a jazziness (Mind Flit) or a deep soul plunge (Why Do I Forget?) but it’s actually about the dreamy merge of these songs – very much an album, a 43-minute car-ride of music; a soundtrack to pack alongside the beach ball and picnic blanket.

Ordinary Days oozes talent, charm and soul – as the Julie Lamb Band consolidates on the previous albums and finds a collective sound, a co-lamb-oration if you will… And you should. You most definitely should. “Ordinary Days has a nice chilled Kiwi vibe, refreshing and fun. This is highly recommended listening.” Corinner,  www.muzic.net.nz

The launch party features five a cappella songs written by Julie and performed by 10dd and friends, followed by the presentation of the album by the Julie Lamb Band and then it’s time for a party with well-known covers and upbeat, funky originals primed for dancing. Mac’s Function Centre will be dressed for the night with lightning design by Tymar, audio by Sounds Good and set design by Supercolour.   

ALAE DEBUTS BRAND NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO FOR ‘THINGS CHANGE’

Alae (Matiu Sadd & Mikee Carpinter) release their new single ‘Things Change’ to iTunes and Spotify, along with the accompanying new video

‘Things Change’ is the first new track to be revealed since the debut of their 6 song, self-titled EP in November 2016. With the single gaining support and video funding from NZ On Air, this track shows that there is more than meets the ear to this Auckland based two piece, who are best known for their stripped back and spacious acoustic style. While showcasing alae’s evolving pop sensibilities and full band song arrangements, the track maintains alae’s signature emotive content and heartfelt delivery at its core. Vocalist Alex Farrell-Davey explains the story behind the track; “Things Change is a song that revolves around the monotonous melancholy that surrounds the build-up to a break up. The crux of the piece being learn, don’t wallow."

The Commotion directed clip for ‘Things Change’ takes the viewer on a desperate chase from underwater to land and back again. Conceptualized over a few beers and shot at Auckland’s iconic Point Erin Baths, the clip quickly took shape over the course of a week. Alex says, “Allister and I have been really curious to see what might be involved with shooting a video underwater for some time now, and this track felt like the perfect opportunity to give it a go. It also gave Allister the opportunity to vent any frustration he’s ever felt at me through one or two key scenes. We are really stoked with the way the video has turned out.”

The release of 'Things Change' adds to an already exciting start to 2017 for Auckland based Alex Farrell-Davey and Allister Meffan, who together form alae. Breaking new international ground, their track ‘All Gived Up’ has been added to Spotify UK’s Discover Weekly playlist with over 70,000 streams amassed in the last 2 weeks alone. With a raft of successful summer gigs under their belt, including the captivation of the R&V main stage crowd over New Year’s, a slot alongside NZ music legends Don McGlashan and SJD at Auckland’s Silo Park and support for Lake Street Dive’s sell-out gig at Auckland’s Tuning Fork, alae continue to take their music through NZ and beyond with gigs tonight and Saturday in Christchurch, followed by an evening performance at Auckland Museum on February 26th as part of the Volume: Making Music in Aotearoa Exhibition.

‘Things Change’ is available now through iTunes and Spotify.

For alae’s live dates check http://alae.band

THOMAS OLIVER 'SHINE LIKE THE SUN'

New Zealand singer-songwriter and local Weissenborn meistro, Thomas Oliver (Cushla Aston) has shared his brand new single 'Shine Like The Sun' and announced the release date of his second studio album, Floating In The Darkness coming out 28th April 2017.

'Shine Like The Sun' is "a song of longing for love" wrapped up in a warm, slow-building groove, backed by healthy bursts of horns, features Louis Baker on backing vocals/electric guitar, Sam Notman (drums), Johnny Lawrence (bass), Ed Zuccollo (Hammond organ, Rhodes), Adam Page (tenor/alto sax, clarinet, flute) and Ariel Bamborough (backing vocals).

Floating In The Darkness (featuring his Silver Scroll award-winning song "If I Move To Mars") is a deep and raw, reflective body of work, largely self-produced, written and mixed by Thomas himself, with an additional soul-stirring collaboration with renowned producer and composer, Rhian Sheehan ("Let It Be This One"), input from Grammy Award-winning mix engineer, Trina Shoemaker, and mastering by Vlado Meller. As a result, he sees the songs on Floating In The Darkness as an intimate and honest reflection of himself - "a product of a whole lot of searching for the magic zone."

Thomas Oliver is a New Zealand singer-songwriter, internationally recognized as one of the world’s leading players of the Weissenborn lap-steel guitar. Thomas released the world's first full-length, all instrumental, all Weissenborn album in 2013, titled Beneath The Weissenborn. The album debuted at #6 on the NZ charts, received 5 star reviews with sold out shows across the nation.
 
With over two million views on his YouTube channel, Thomas has developed an international audience from his home base in New Zealand, and has performed throughout New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Vietnam, and has toured and shared the stage with such legends as Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton and Fat Freddy's Drop. 
 
His vast diversity in his vocal delivery has also earned him a reputation as a vocalist in Drum & Bass and other electronic music, and his list of collaborations includes some of DnB's most respected producers, including Black Sun Empire, Rido, Concord Dawn and Urbandawn, and boasts releases on prestigious labels, including Andy C's RAM Records, Goldie's Metalheadz. More recently, his single “If I Move To Mars” was remixed by Urbandawn and released on Hospital Records in January this year.
 
October 2015 saw the release of his much-loved (and critically appraised) single “If I Move To Mars”, which would go onto win the prestigious APRA AMCOS Silver Scroll award a year later. With airplay support from ZM, The Hits and The Edge, it nabbed a place in the Official NZ Music Chart for 5 weeks. 
 
“If I Move To Mars” gave us a glance into the melting pot of Thomas’ largely self-produced, written and mixed new album, Floating In The Darkness, which was finished with the love and support of a successful crowd-funding campaign. The pledge reached $22,500, which was $5,000 over its $17,500 target from fans and supporters, locally and worldwide allowing Thomas to finish the album he had conceptualized with the help of a few friends along the way such as Rhian Sheehan, Grammy Award-winning engineer, Trina Shoemaker, Louis Baker (b/v’s on “Shine Like The Sun”), Vlado Meller and more.
 
Following his Silver Scroll win, Thomas released an acoustic version of “If I Move To Mars” and added to the star-studded Bob Marley tribute album, Stir It Up – Aotearoa’s Tribute To Bob Marley, with his spiritual, airy rendition of “Is This Love”. 

 

TONI HUATA RELEASES NEW VIDEO & CD CELEBRATING TE MATATINI 2017

Toni Huata takes you back to her roots and her core love for her family and Iwi

'MOHAKA' - a stunning new music video from Māori songstress Toni Huata, explores reconnection and family ties. Set against the spectacular landscape of Mohaka, Ngāti Kahungunu – Hawkes Bay, the NZ on Air funded video follows a developing friendship of two pre-teens.

Hot on the heels of Toni’s award winning music video Hopukia te tao (best Māori music video 2016) 'MOHAKA' has a country feel, stirring fond memories of a childhood free from the urban pressures. Toni Huata and Penn Productions are proud to premier 'MOHAKA' the music video at Waipapa a Iwi Mohaka Marae with a concert at 5pm on Saturday 4th March 2017.

“Toni Huata has nailed what is good in music. Sing what you know, blend it in with the right instruments and harmonies, but most importantly, when you sing from your roots your message transcends beyond what you could ever imagine”.

Toni Huata’s beautiful harmonies and arrangements of these songs written by her forefathers, are an ode to tīpuna, whānau and Iwi within the spirit of love and their legacy, all penned by Toni's grandfather Te Okanga Kahutapere (Aussie) Huata.

Uplifting and full of heart, the new recordings 'Mohaka', 'Ō Tākitimu' and 'Ngā Rori', tell stories of this poignant area and of sweet loving memories for land, family, Mohaka, Ngāti Kahungunu and to all those that connect to Tākitimu canoe.

Well known favourites from Toni's previous albums add to this delightful package.

K'o Wai Ka Hua' - a love jazz ballad written for Toni's grandmother Ngaro Rangi and the 28th Māori Battalion, 'Te Māori e' - commemorating the Te Māori exhibition journey to the USA in the 1980's, 'Whakarongo a tai' - celebrating connections to Pacific origins, 'Ngā Tukemata' - inspiring unity and strength, performed by Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga and 'Te Hokinga Mai' with Toni's heartfelt version with Karl Teariki, by Max Mariu, Tom Higgins and Te Taite Cooper.

‘Kahungunu Maranga’ is available in store and online from Feb 23rd 2017, distributed by DRM and ODE Records.  Also available for sale from Huia Publishers in the Whānau Village, Shop 38 at Te Matatini, Feb 23 - 26 2017.

Toni will also MC at this prestigious event and during the Kahungunu Festival. Toni also performs live in various venues in Napier during the Kahungunu Festival and Te Matatini. 

• 24 February, 8:30pm, A Night of Drag, Bar 2013 Karamu Rd, Hastings. Tickets $25.00
• 24 - 26 February, 8am - 8pm, Te Matatini 2017, HB Sports Park, Hastings, Toni MC
• 25 February, 6 - 9pm, (Toni 8pm) FREE Kahungunu Beach Party, Marine Parade, Napier 
• 24 - 26 February, 10am - 2pm, Kahungunu Pavillion, HB Sports Park, Hastings, Toni MC 
• 4 March, 5 - 7pm, Concert & Mohaka music video launch, Waipapa a Iwi Marae in Mohaka, with Toni Huata, Brannigan Kaa, AdrianTangaroa Wagner, Peter & Noeline Hawkins and many more.

MODERN MAORI QUARTET ANNOUNCE DEBUT STUDIO ALBUM 'THATS US!'

New Zealand’s favourite modern Māori showband, Modern Mãori Quartet (Yee Yang Lee & Sums Selvarajan) are reaching out to fans around the world with their first crowdfunding campaign to help deliver their debut studio album That’s Us! as they kick off their 12 date tour around Aotearoa New Zealand with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

As band member Matariki Whatarau explains, “We’ve been singing covers for years and you know, we thought... why not?! The spirit of this album comes from the Māori garage party, reminiscent of the parties of years gone by when someone would pick up a guitar and the music would flow.”
 
“We strongly believe that real stories told with truth and conviction should be at the forefront of who we are – and that’s exactly what we set out to do with the creation of our first album.”
 
That’s Us! will feature all original waiata (songs) written by Modern Māori Quartet and accompanied by some of New Zealand’s most talented musiciansincluding Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper (Co-Producer/Strings), Dixon Nacey (Guitar), Chris O'Connor (Drums), Thabani Gapara (Saxophone), Andy Cochrane (Keyboard), Awhimai Fraser (Vocals) and Temuera Morrison (Vocals).
 
Fellow band mate Francis Kora promises, “We've been very blessed throughout the writing and recording process - receiving an amazing amount of support and aroha (love) from a host of amazingly, talented people. We have no doubt because of this tautoko (support) the 'That’s Us!' album will be a success.”
 
In return for fans’ generosity,  the fullas of Modern Māori Quartet have come up with some unique offerings as rewards; from tea towels to whisky tastings, song covers to private backyard gigs!  All āwhina (help) and aroha will make a difference and the band are offering an online album credit and their eternal gratefulness for all contributions, no matter how small.
 
Please spread the word, message your friends, tell your whānau (family), share the aroha!
 
Modern Māori Quartet will also be hosting Māori Television’s brand new series My Party Song. Thursday nights at 9.30pm, starting on March 23, the quartet will introduce each episode and with the help of some musical friends and pay homage to songs loved by Mãori the world over.

GABRIELLE GILBERT 'ALL THAT SOUND'

Fresh and feisty new comer Gabrielle Gilbert has released her debut pop/rock Ep ‘All That Sound’. Recorded in a home studio in Auckland, engineered and produced by Gabrielle herself. ‘All That Sound' is a battle, honest but uplifting.

The 5 track EP is about fighting for what you want and standing up for yourself with the empowering 'Nah Nah No!’ and the “dig your toes in” ‘Say What You Want’. The appropriately named 'All That Sound’ presents a diverse instrumentation of Rock guitar, pop synth and piano that weave an intricate web behind a unique vocal and straight-shooting lyrics.