DOMINIC BLAAZER & THE MAXIMUM PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA AT THE PUMPHOUSE

Saturday May 5th from 7.45pm

Book directly at the Pumphouse.

 

Following the launch of his critically-acclaimed album, “The Lights of Te Atatu,” Dominic Blaazer is pleased to bring his Maximum Philharmonic Orchestra to the PumpHouse Theatre.

The 7-piece orchestral band recently performed at Neil Finn’s Roundhead Studios, following two sell-out performances at the 2017 Auckland Fringe.

A stalwart of NZ music, Blaazer has played alongside Don McGlashan, SJD and The Chills, also accompanying the Topp Twins, John Rowles, Goldenhorse, David Kilgour and The Clean, among many others.

Blaazer’s calling card is his songwriting, with press comparing him to Jimmy Webb, Burt Bacharach and John Lennon. RNZ’s Nick Bollinger said the songs were “beautifully refined … sound like classics, fearless and perfect,” while Graham Reid wrote, “he makes those lights seem magical and resonant … These are fine songs.”
 

They translate well on stage, too:

“Outstanding concert, Dom. The National were superb and yours was every bit as good.”

“Tight, melodic and poetic tunes with a great little orchestra working in sync.”
 

Our very special opening act is Jan Hellriegel, one of New Zealand’s most respected songwriters. For this evening Jan will be using the piano to showcase new songs from her forthcoming album as well as re-imagining some of her hits of yore.

Jan Hellriegel signed to Warner Music NZ in 1990 as their first local signing, and was the first NZ female singer/songwriter to be picked up by a major label for a full development deal. 

Hellriegel has released three studio albums, and has had a string of charting singles, including "The Way I Feel", "It’s My Sin", "No Idea", "Westy Gals", "Wings Of Steel”, "Manic (Is A State Of Mind)" and "Melusine". 

She has toured with and supported many international acts including The Cure, Jeff Buckley, David Byrne, Diesel, and Ron Sexsmith; and she’s performed as a guest vocalist for many bands such as Straitjacket Fits, The Verlaines and The Mutton Birds, notably on the latter's hit single Nature.

Hear Dominic Blaazer's album "The Lights of Te Atatu":

https://dominicblaazer.bandcamp.com/releases

Listen to Jan Hellriegel's music here -

https://search.songbroker.nz/#!artist?id=32605

LOUIS BAKER 'BLACK CROW'

Good things take time. Not only is that true in the case of New Zealand songwriter Louis Baker, who we haven’t heard from since the single “Addict” a year ago, but also of the music that Baker returns with, the soul-fuelled, introspective groover that snaps and bumps with the piston fire of the rawest locked groove, smoothed, warmed and informed by one of the finest voices in contemporary music - “Black Crow”.
 
Written and produced in Sydney in six hours, “Black Crow” sounds like alchemy freed from an artist’s DNA, rather than the chiseled result of time and toil. Produced by Grammy-nominated Steve Rusch (Solange, Miguel, Ryan Tedder), the song’s deceptively simple, deeply organic production initiates a song about exorcising your demons, leaving the past behind and gaining wisdom through experience.

Accompanying the release is a stunning video from award winning director, Chris Graham (Scribe, Smashproof, Bic Runga, Trinity Roots) as he returns to making his first music video in three years.

‘I’ve been wanting to work with Louis Baker for years, so when I heard Black Crow, it really spoke to me. Being a song touching on the theme of mental health, a kaupapa I really care about, I wanted to make a video that did poetic justice to his song and mainly, provoke thought and dialogue for the audience about what the song and video are actually saying.” Says Graham.

Speaking about the inspiration behind “Black Crow”, Louis Baker says:

“The idea of bathing one's hands in indigo came about through an old Japanese proverb I read. I was fascinated with its idea- that a piece of fabric gets a deeper and richer colour tone if you repeatedly dye it. The proverb has a number of different meanings, but to me it is a metaphor about life, experience and growing wise with age.”
 
As we may strive to grow wise with age, this is a record that doesn’t try to sound more classic with every revolution, it just does so, effortlessly. It is soul forged from a voice that gets richer with every year, aligned with writing that gets more resonant with every listen. Black Crow’s implications of shaking negativity off your shoulder, and hope are moon-shadowed by Baker’s multi-instrumental finesse, pushing us from sentence to stanza, demanding that his story be told.
 
It’s the story with wide approval from Louis Baker’s fans who have given him 10 million Spotify plays worldwide for songs including “Rainbow” (4.7 million) and “Addict” (over 850,000). Other notable moments - Finalist APRA Silver Scrolls 2014 with “Back On My Feet”, Nominee APRA Silver Scrolls 2017 with “Rainbow”, Radio Active most played song of the year 2017 with “Gave It All Away”.
 
Black Crow is the first offering off a new record Baker is due to release later this year.
 
Louis heads to the UK and Europe for a 16 date tour including a headline show in London which sold out within weeks of the announcement.

‘Black Crow’ is out now on all digital streaming platforms. Find it on Spotify, iTunes/Apple Music, Bandcamp, and YouTube.

SKINNY HOBOS ANNOUNCE NATIONAL TOUR IN SUPPORT OF DEBUT ALBUM

traight off the back of a scorching Homegrown set in Wellington, a couple of dates on I Am Giant’s final NZ tour and the announcement of their debut performance at Spark Arena in support of Biffy Clyro, Skinny Hobos celebrate the launch of their debut album with an 11 date national tour.
 
Never content to rest on their touring laurels, Skinny Hobos will be delivering their power packed, 2 piece rock and roll across the country on their biggest headline tour yet, ably supported by Auckland riffers His Masters Voice. Alex Elvis, vocals and guitars states, “it’s been a long time coming, but we finally have an album that we’re proud of and we can’t wait to come play it for you!”.
 
The Rock presents Skinny Hobos Album Release Tour.
 
Friday 18 May                            The Great Lake Centre, Taupo
Friday 25 May                            Galatos, Auckland
Saturday 26 May                       Whangarei, Old Stone Butter Factory
Friday 1st June                          Hamilton, Altitude
Saturday 2nd June                    Napier, The Cabana
Friday 8 June                             New Plymouth, Treehouse Bar
Saturday 9 June                         Wellington, San Fran
Friday 15 June                           Tauranga, Totara St
Wednesday 20 June                  Invercargill, Southland Musician’s Club
Friday 22 June                           Queenstown, Yonder
Saturday 23rd June                   Christchurch, ‘Winter Party 2018’, The Embankment
 
Tickets available now through www.undertheradar.co.nz. Tickets for the Taupo show available on the door.
 
The video for current single Jacked like the Ripper, a live set favorite, will also be released on the 18 May. The single is available now through Spotify, iTunes and all other digital outlets.  
 
Skinny Hobos self titled debut album is released everywhere Friday 18 May.

SANDY MILL 'GIFTBOX'

With a world-class CV of collaborations, recordings and powerhouse vocalist work, the supremely talented Sandy Mill prepares to release 'Giftbox' the second single from forthcoming vinyl EP A PIECE OF ME

Giftbox is inspired by the great singers of the 60’s like Dusty Springfield and Nancy Sinatra. The song blends the power of American soul and the honesty of UK pop with killer lines “I’ve seen a few, I’ve lived some too, more than anything in the whole wide world I’ll carry on believing through,” Sandy tells a story of when unexpected events throw you off course, you can still remain steady and hang on for the ride.

And what a ride this wahine from Gisborne has had… Sandy’s musical history has seen her work with the likes of Basement Jaxx, Boy George and Neil Finn so it’s no surprise Sandy would assemble a band from the finest musicians around: Milan Borich, Andrew Park, Ben King, Jeremy Toy, Dianne Swann, SJD, Darryn Harkness, with the amazing contribution from Engineer & co-producer, Nick Abbott.

A Piece of Me, Sandy Mill's forthcoming EP is due out Friday 4th May.

UPCOMING TOUR DATES

See Sandy Mill and her band in Auckland throughout NZ Music Month!

May 4th - 95bFM & Villa Maria presents Sandy Mill
The Lula Inn, Viaduct Harbour
(with DJ Tina Turntables and DJ Automatic)

May 26th - Sandy Mill with Andrew Park
Pt Chevalier Library (11.00am set)
NZ Music Month special

June 1st - Sandy Mill live at Borderline Music Festival

BAKERS EDDY 'I'M NOT MAKING GOOD DECISIONS'

Drawing inspiration from the new lives they were leading in Melbourne after moving from NZ in 2017 the songs are about finding their first shitty band flat, struggling to pay rent, relationship stresses and technological dependencies. 

Under Tom Larkin's watchful eye and producer/engineer Jon Grace they approached recording this E.P in a whole new way - "we tracked live using fuzzed up gats, a trashy drum sound and rowdy gang vocals giving “I'm Not Making Good Decisions” a dirty in-your-face vibe that's as subtle as a nail through the foot!"

Bakers Eddy are also pleased to announce that in conjunction with Konzertburo Schoneberg they are playing a few select gigs in Germnay to introduce them to the German market and thanks to Impressive PR in the UK will be playing The Alternative Great Escape also

ALAE RELEASE STUNNING NEW SINGLE ‘STONE COLD’

Following on from the streaming smash ‘Too Strung Up’, which saw the Auckland 3-piece woo a legion of new fans across NZ, Australia and the USA, Alae return with an addictive ode to the mother of all drugs – love – on their brand-new track ‘Stone Cold’.

The single made its premiere through USA music journal Atwood Magazine and debuts in Spotify's New Music Friday AU & NZ this morning.

‘Stone Cold’ is a celebration of the complexities of new love and the conflicting emotions that arise. Introduced with a delicate guitar line, a building groove and an airy, effervescent chorus it’s an aural embodiment of an emotional journey laid bare. Vocalist Alex Farrell- Davey explains - “Love is a consuming and confronting high – it can alter your perspective on everything. Once the hit sinks in, paranoia and the second guessing begins.

The song goes on to accept the conflict as part of the whole experience and finally brushes it off in the chorus -"There's all these things that I want to do with you by my side. For the first time in my entire life, well, I don't mind."

Alae have spent the last three months over the Summer break recording their debut album with co-producer Jol Mullholland at Auckland’s LAB Studios, thanks to a NZ on Air New Music Project grant. “The release of our debut albums is something we have been working towards since we started two years ago,” says Alex, “we can’t wait to get it out into the world and share with our fans this June.”

TAMI NEILSON TAKES ON SEXISM WITH "STAY OUTTA MY BUSINESS"

Canadian born, New Zealand-based Tami Neilson has strong and powerful pipes, one of those great soul shouter voices that preach the gospel of great music at every turn. "Stay Outta My Business" is her latest single and it speaks to the freedom of not caring what other people say about you. Be yourself, be happy, be strong, Neilson is convincing as she warns to stay out her business. She's a tough woman in charge of her life, and the video speaks to female empowerment and strength in unity.

Neilson tells PopMatters that "this song is all sass and strut and I wanted the visuals to represent a celebration of not giving a damn about people's judgments and how freeing that is. I love that this was created by a team of badass females -- from Annie and Morgan directing and producing, to the girl-squad of my dreams the O'Neill Twins dancing the hell out of it, to artist Maree Robinson who painted the 1950s-musical-meets-Stepford-wives grocery aisle backdrop, I was surrounded by incredibly talented, strong, confident, creative women and that's a sure-fire recipe for shutting down your local gossip chain."

"Stay Outta My Business" appears on Neilson's upcoming album, SASSAFRASS!, releasing 1 June via Outside Music. The title eludes to her well-developed BS detector, developed over years of dealing with sexism. Confronting injustice with sass is punk and badass in the best sense of the words and Neilson does it with aplomb. She explains that the album is a "mouthy lovechild of the current social climate and my own experiences as a woman, mother, and daughter".

with thanks to PopMatters

HELEN CORRY DELIVERS A POWERFUL MESSAGE IN THE VIDEO FOR ‘LA FEMME’

The video for Helen Corry’s anthemic new single ‘La femme’ is premiering now on the award-winning blog Villainesse.
 
‘La femme’ conveys a powerful message and acts as a call to the women of the world, who are fighting to be heard, to keep fighting.
 
“Just before I wrote ‘La femme’, I’d been catching up with some friends - all women in creative industries. We all noted at the time that we felt like there was a shift happening - we were beginning to see more women in positions of influence, and how that led to women in these positions hiring women into more positions,” explains Corry.
 
“I was really inspired by that chat. A few months later, the #metoo and #timesup movement was massive news. I’d already written ‘La femme’ and tweaked a few of the lyrics to make it more specific to the conversation we are currently having around female equity and sexual harassment.”
 
The song with its poignant lyrics, driving beat and empowering chorus, struck a chord and was added immediately to New Zealand’s number one tastemaker station George FM.
 
Now, Corry follows it up with the release of an exquisitely shot video that reinforces ‘La femme’’s message. Corry’s vision was to portray a liberated woman - strong and powerful.
 
“I wanted to focus on the female figure but to do that without sexualising it. The song is about the expectations and pressures society put on us as females and visually, I wanted to show the peeling away of those expectations.”
 
A raw and emotive video, Corry acknowledges there are scenes some people may find challenging and uncomfortable, but that’s the message - It is uncomfortable. It does happen. It’s not ok.”
 
The video was directed by Corry and created by an all-female crew, and features Kiwi dancer Hannah Tasker-Poland.
 
Other thanks go to a cast of talented women all leading the way in their respective fields - producer Fenella Stratton, editor Monax Sonei; Zaza Arere and Frith Locke-Bonney on camera and lighting, Lara Hawker and Ashlee Kellet on body paint and hair and make-up, with jewellery supplied by Cathy Pope.
 
Corry is no stranger to the New Zealand music scene, having featured on countless chart-topping tunes, such as Jetski Safari’s ‘Like A Lie’ and Jupiter Project’s ‘With You’. 
 
She’s also a force to be reckoned with in her own right, with her first solo single ‘Strike’, which was released in October 2017 and a #1 hit on George FM’s chart.
 
Corry has also maintained a constant presence on the live circuit, performing at New Zealand’s biggest festivals and events, from Rhythm N’ Vines and Homegrown, to Synthony and Deep Hard ‘N’ Funky.