MOJO ALICE SIGN WITH USA LABEL RFL RECORDS.

Wellington rock band Mojo Alice have signed a world-wide record deal with US label RFL Records. Mojo Alice’s debut album Liquid Sin is set to be re- released by RFL through Amped Distribution and Alliance Entertainment.

 RFL state that Mojo Alice are a perfect match for the global rock scene with their high energy  live shows, hook laden bluesy riffs, ballsy vocals and  tight heavy rhythm section.

Who would have thought a vocalist’s barefooted stomp would cause so much chaos…overflowing with charisma, New Zealand’s Mojo Alice brews up a potent combination of primal rock & blues. That perfect blend of style, character & balls. Look out for big things happening.  

You can follow the band on facebook, Instagram , twitter  and at www.mojoaliceband.com

KAYLEE BELL COLLABORATES WITH LEPANI

Kaylee Bell teams up with Kiwi Pop sensation LEPANI for a new collaboration on her latest single 'THAT SUMMER' out this Friday April 16th.

Lepani is a co-writer on the song and features on the track with his smooth caramel tones. Bell released the song one month ago with US artist Josh Mirenda and the song has already clocked over 300,000 plays in the first couple of weeks and was the most added song to Apple Music Country Playlists globally for the week of release.

Bell was also featured in the latest Womans Day where they declared her 'Kiwi's Shania' and discussed her musical journey and highlights such as touring with Keith Urban and Bell's desire to one day be the 'Pink' or 'Katy Perry' of Country Music.

Lady Larisa & Band Honeychild play The Opera House, Hawkes Bay

Lady Larisa & Band Honeychild

Venue: The Opera House - toitoi Hawkes Bay

Date: Saturday May 8th 8pm

Join Lady Larisa and her band for the EP release celebration of Honeychild.

Written during lockdown, produced by Thomas Oliver with Rick Cranson Drums, Ed Zuccollo Piano, Johnny Lawrence Bass, Barrett Hocking Trumpet and Thomas on acoustic and electric guitar, the EP was recorded live at the Armoury 'old school style' on vintage classic equipment with live vocals.

This glittering jazz show has been Postponed once due to 'you know what' but show will finally come to fruition with some of Hawkes Bay's finest musician's at the opulent Opera House the day before Mother's day.

The EP Honeychild will be available on CD and Vinyl and was supported by Creative NZ.

15-year-old Jackson Boswell delivers new single ‘Miss You’

Today Jackson Boswell releases his brand new single ‘Miss You,’ a glimpse into his upcoming EP ‘Evening.’

‘Miss You’ unveils the next step for this talented 15-year-old multi-instrumentalist producer showcasing his raspy chilled out vocals over a guitar led backdrop.

“Can’t you hold the sun up when the day has been and gone, waiting for the moment where I don’t have to be alone.” Boswell’s lyrics echo young love and longing, landing him right in teen heart throb territory.

This shift from the production driven cinematic soundscapes of his debut EP ‘Night’ reveal this three EP series including ‘Evening’ and ‘Afternoon’ to come, will be an exciting journey Jackson Boswell wishes to take us all on.

‘Miss You’ is out now on all platforms.

THE NEW BLUE – PIXIE WILLIAMS REIMAGINED

The legacy of Pixie Williams, the evocative voice behind the number one 1949 hit Blue Smoke, continues with the reimagined album The New Blue, releasing Friday 9 April. Containing 11 tracks of reworked gems, recorded by a collection of contemporary Kiwi vocalists, the album celebrates the enduring yet brief singing career of New Zealand’s first number one pop song vocalist and wāhine Māori artist.

While Dean Martin famously covered, and had a hit, with Blue Smoke in 1951, a new generation of artists demonstrate that over 70 years later, the compositions remain as timeless as ever. The album includes the distinctive vocal talents of soul diva and te reo Māori champion Whirimako Black (MNZM),  acclaimed musician, producer and songwriter Anna Coddington and modern soul singer Louis Baker. New artists sing alongside the more established, with only the song to answer to – reflecting the priorities of the day when Pixie recorded Blue Smoke in 1949, fresh from hockey practice as a 20 year old. 

The project has been a labour of love for Williams’ daughter Amelia Costello, who in 2011 released the album Pixie Williams: For The Record.  This compilation of works set to digitally preserve the scarce collection of Williams’ 78rpm shellac single releases, the only format to remain from her original recordings. Costello explains how The New Blue began;

“I've always wanted to refresh the music with contemporary artists. I had started work on this when the technology made it possible to remaster the originals, which was first logical thing to do to save the music. The remastered album was so well received, it reinforced the interest in a reimagined album.”

Enter Mike Gibson, sound engineer to a wealth of local artists over the last three decades. Gibson restored and remastered the original shellac recordings for the 2011 release, and now returns as the executive producer and engineer for this new album. Gibson has constructed a unique production team with Riki Gooch (eru dangerspiel, Trinity Roots) and vocalist Lisa Tomlins (Fat Freddy’s Drop, L.A.B, Hollie Smith), who bring a refreshingly natural and effortless beauty to the production. “The key was stepping out of this modern world and allowing the space for each song to guide us,” says Gibson. 

Alongside a healthy collection of composer Ruru Karatiana’s works, the album features a tune by another great songwriter of the time, Sam Freedman; responsible for writing the iconic Haere Mai.  First recorded in 1949, and now reimagined and recorded in te reo Māori, Freedman’s Māoriland is a fitting bridge between eras, when recording in te reo would not have been a consideration.

The New Blue – Pixie Williams Reimagined

Saddle Hill ft The Victory Dolls

Let’s Talk It Over ft Anna Coddington

Ain’t It A Shame ft Whirimako Black 

Bellbird Serenade ft Rachel Fraser

Blue Smoke ft Pixie Williams, Lisa Tomlins and Kirsten Te Rito

Sweetheart in Calico ft George Rutherford

Sailing Along on a Moonbeam ft Amba Holly

Señorita ft Lisa Tomlins

Māoriland ft Kirsten Te Rito

It’s Just Because ft Deanne Krieg

Windy City ft Louis Baker

Audiences will have the chance to hear The New Blue in a live setting with Kirsten Te Rito, Rachel Fraser and Lisa Tomlins bringing these songs, supported by full backing band, to Dunedin as part of the Dunedin Arts Festival on 13 April. The show then travels to Wanaka for the Festival of Colour arts festival on 14 April.

The New Blue album and live shows compliment the 2020 documentary, Pixie – The Voice of Blue Smoke, which shines a new light on the story behind the iconic song. Director Daniel Mulholland states; "It's been a once in a lifetime opportunity to document this colourful time in Aotearoa's music history. To now hear the songs of yesteryear performed by today's artists is truly a blessing. The album and documentary will sit side by side as tribute to our pioneers and a showcase of the musical talent we currently have around us. Mauri ora!"

“Making this record has been a wonderful journey of revisiting the musical landscape of Pixie Williams and Ruru Karaitiana” states Gooch, “It has been musically fulfilling.”

The New Blue releases on Friday 9 April through Blue Smoke Records and is distributed through Rhythmethod. Pixie – The Voice of Blue Smoke is available to view here, and is also available on Māori TV On Demand.

For further information on Pixie Williams – www.bluesmokerecords.com

Banana Mundo "Hola" album release tour

Banana Mundo have just released their debut album "Hola" with a sold out show in New Plymouth and are now hitting the road for 3 shows around the North Island.

First stop is at the Hawke's Bay Latin Dance Club in Napier on Friday 9th April, followed by a late gig at the Havana Bar in Wellington on Saturday 10th April and on Sunday the 11th April they play at the Newtown Festival in Wellington.

Banana Mundo is a collective of musicians from around the world. Members from Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela, France, Switzerland, England and New Zealand bring together an infectious worldly mix of upbeat Latin and Afro Beat tunes.

Hailing from New Plymouth, the west coast of beautiful New Zealand, the band features French keysanova Severin Thiebaut on hot salsa flavoured keys, the brassiliant English tenor and soprano trombone player Tombone Roberts, local west coast kiwi legend Robin Wells on jazzy sax, genio de la guitarra (guitar genius) Andres Duran from Uruguay, the hottest accordion player in all of the west Naomi Kuttner, “máquina de percusionista” aka “the love rhythm” Argentinian percussionist Nico Paladini and the world's tallest man from Venezuela en la batería (on drums) Christian Jacobsoni Rangel.

The explosive 8 piece band Banana Mundo is fronted by the musical swiss army knife Andre Manella on bass, clave, percussion and lead vocal.

You can expect lots of dancing to this irresistible contagious mix of Latin and afro beat.

ANNOUNCES SOLD OUT SHOW AT THE CIVIC ‘SOMETHING TO FEEL’ TOPS NZ TOP 40 ALBUM CHART

FINAL REMAINING TICKETS ON SALE NOW! VISIT THISTEEKS.COM

Following the mammoth release of his debut #1 album ‘Something To Feel’, TEEKS is humbled to announce a sold out show at The Civic, Auckland – a monumental achievement in the celebrated Māori singer-songwriter’s journey to date.

Bringing his critically acclaimed debut to the road, TEEKS will embark on a special six date album tour, performing in some of New Zealand’s greatest concert venues of all time. Following last year’s ‘The Invitation Tour’ which sold out in under 7 days, this is TEEKS as you’ve never seen him before, backed by full band and string quartet in a headlining tour that is not to be missed.

Limited remaining tickets to Wellington, Whanganui, Napier, Christchurch and Dunedin are on sale now, so get in quickly to see the artist the world is talking about!

See here for remaining tickets and special ticket bundles.

‘SOMETHING TO FEEL’ NEW ZEALAND TOUR

June 4 – Municipal Theatre, Napier

June 5 – The Civic, Auckland  SOLD OUT

June 11 – Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington  SELLING FAST

June 12 – Opera House, Whanganui

June 18 – Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch  SELLING FAST

June 19 – Regent Theatre, Dunedin

Final tickets on sale now!

Visit thisteeks.com

“poised to become New Zealand’s next international superstar” – North & South

“Teeks raises the bar on sincere, seductive Aotearoa soul that bridges the spiritual and the secular.” – The Listener

“a stellar debut” 10/10  – Newstalk ZB

“New Zealand’s soulful singer to know” – Vogue US

CONNECT WITH TEEKS

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube

Theia and Vayne drop gritty video for ‘CREEP’ collab

GET TICKETS TO THEIA & VAYNE’S AOTEAROA TOUR

Wāhine toa Theia and Vayne have just dropped the highly anticipated video for their hard-hitting waiata ‘CREEP’.
 
Theia and Vayne released ‘CREEP’ after writing the track at APRA’s inaugural reo Songhubs, curated by Grammy-winning NZ producer Joel Little.
 
Watch the video for ‘CREEP’ here. Listen to ‘CREEP’ here.
 
‘CREEP’ combines Theia’s big experimental pop energy with Vayne’s distinctive hip-hop sound to create a bass-heavy, powerful waiata, which bravely tackles the serious issue of sexual predators and those who protect them through silence.
 
After performing ‘CREEP’ together at festivals over summer and feeling the ihi (excitement, power) from crowds, Theia and Vayne wanted to capture some of the energy in an official music video. So, they took to social media to invite fans along to K Road’s G.A.Y club just before opening on a Friday night and enlisted one of NZ’s best young videographers, Connor Pritchard, to film the magic.
 
The end result is a gritty, highly charged clip, which illustrates the power of the song and shines a spotlight on the combined wairua of two of Aotearoa’s most formidable artists, who deliver a spine-tingling haka as the finale.
 
They say videos no longer hold your attention for more than 30 seconds but this is one music video you will want to watch until the end!
 
Theia and Vayne are also taking ‘CREEP’ on the road this May with a five-date Aotearoa tour. DJ Monoga.my - a rising star on Tamaki Mākaurau’s queer scene and also Theia’s DJ - will join the tour to play their own set. Special guests will also be announced in the coming weeks so watch this space!
 

Friday, May 7 – Nivara Lounge, Hamilton
Saturday, May 15 – Whammy Bar, Auckland
Friday, May 21 – Moon, Wellington
Friday, May 28 – Boiler Room, Whakatāne
Saturday, May 29 – Smash Palace, Gisborne

Get tickets for the Theia x Vayne CREEP tour 2021 HERE