New Releases from Old Rockers

As NZ Music Month dawns the new releases keep coming thick and fast as bands and labels hope to capitalise on the combination of publicity and parochialism that can see local acts' sales figures soar during May. I know I'm sounding a bit cynical but, while there is need for a debate about whether the states' intervention in the NZ music scene has been responsible for the promotion of bland international sounding acts over more diverse talent, I'm actually a fan of NZ Music Month. I like the idea of celebrating local music, after all that's why I put together Counting The Beat - it's certainly not for fame or fortune. My partner also likes NZ Music Month, if only because it means I might buy some new clothes. Anyway, here's another selection of great new releases - all from acts who have been on the scene for a good while.

How many great records has Chris Knox made? And how many units has he sold? Proving there is no universal balance of justice and good the latter figure may be only slightly larger than the first. Slugbuckethairybreathmonster is one of my favourite records of all time, Not Given Lightly is the favourite of many more. Knox's latest is his second album with The Nothing titled A Warm Gun. I think his songs benefit from the organic sound they get in a band setting, and he has some really good players in The Nothing, which appears to be heading towards becoming a real band. The album includes a couple of good old thrash outs but the best songs are the one which provide a sympathetic setting for Knox's lyrics to shine through. There are also some nice touches of strings and horns on some numbers which serve to complement rather than distract from the songs. Bookending the album are two different versions of 'All I Want Is You'. The second takes a bit of an everything but the kitchen sink approach to instrumentation that nicely combines Knox's pop song writing talent with his quirky musical approach. It's songs like this that mean while it may not be up there with some of his Tall Dwarfs' classics this is a record that will stick in your head and be one you come back to.

Shihad are another band I've been listening to for ages, ever since they embraced post-punk to their metal hearts and released the awesomely powerful Churn. They have always been an incredible live band - I particularly remember one show at the Powerstation, where they played the club like it was a stadium and left me soaked and speechless. However, their recorded output hasn't always grabbed me - while I love Churn, the "fish album", and most of The General Electric, Love Is The New Hate just didn't do it for me, apart from 'Saddest Song In the World'. Now Shihad's seventh album, Beautiful Machine is out. This is more of the of the big stadium rock ballads we have come to expect from Shihad and while that is not normally my cup of tea they do it so well I just can't seem to help but like it. You know, returning to the theme of NZ Music Month, I don't know if I would listen to this music if it was from an overseas band. Perhaps it's my cultural nationalist tendencies that overcome my normal reaction of avoiding anything that would play on The Edge.

The third release from an old fave comes from HDU or High Dependency Unit (they seem to use the names interchangably). Metamathics is only their forth album since forming in 1994 and follows a gap of 7 years since Fireworks that was punctuated only by the singles Tunguska (clip on video page) and Stupormodel, both now included on the album. The album doesn't herald any great change in direction, and that is just fine by me. It combines rip-roaring punk songs like 'Stupormodel' and long feedback drenched soundscapes like 'The National Grid' that remind me of a better recorded Dead C (again, no bad thing). The whole album is streaming on the HDU myspace page. There is also an earlier Counting The Beat episode featuring HDU available to download.

Now, go buy some kiwi music - or don't you love your country?

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New Releases April 08

What's going on? There is an avalanche of great new releases at the moment. In fact, there are too many to cover in one episode of Counting the Beat. Watch out for a second April round-up coming soon.

Dudley Benson won a Counting The Beat Alternatui for best male solo artist way back in 2006. This month he has just released his debut album, The Awakening. This is in much the same vein as his two earlier EPs, featuring his trained classical voice, choir and strings. So not your standard pop fare then. Part of what I like about this album is the sheer "what the hell!?" element. Probably not everyone's cup of tea but an accomplished work from an original and talented artist. Worth checking out are a video about the making of this unique album on the video page and a live performance on National Radio (stream).

Collapsing Cities (another Alternatui winner) are an altogether different prospect. Their debut album, Elixir Always, is all tight, guitar driven indie pop, kind of like an antipodean Franz Ferdinand. Like their earlier EP, of which two songs reappear on this album, just about every song has the hooks and drive to be single. There's not a dud here. Great lyrics too - highly autobiographical tales of life as a guy in his early twenties with a wry humorous touch - "if I'm still a telemarketer next year I think I'll end my life". There are a couple of clips on the video page and some free downloadable remixes of album tracks here.

The Winchesters are one of a crop of new bands that seem to be highly influenced by the new indie blues sound of bands like The White Stripes and The Black Keys. And there's nothing wrong with that. Their self titled EP features four infectious fast paced guitar driven numbers. A standout is opening track 'Down in Huntly'. I'm a big fan of songs that feature New Zealand place names. As a blog only bonus you will find links below to download two Counting The Beat placename specials below - I've Been Everywhere and I've Been Everywhere and Back

Concluding this new releases round up is An Emerald City, yet another another Alternatui winner (best instrumental 2007). An Emerald City play moody instrumental pieces that aren't a million miles from Aussie band The Dirty Three, but with an Eastern influence. The band have just released a four track self titled EP that includes the track 'Qing Song' that will be well known to bFM listeners along with two newies, 'A Question' and 'Mr Finn'. This band have been receiving good reviews for their live performances and a heap of student radio airplay for a couple of years. It's good that they finally have something out.

Download the Counting The Beat - New Releases April 08 Podcast

Blog Only Bonus: Counting The Beat Placename Specials

Download Counting The Beat - I've Been Everywhere

Download Counting The Beat - I've Been Everywhere And Back

Record Store Day

On April 19 independent record stores across the USA are marking Record Store Day. The purpose is to highlight and celebrate the role independent record stores play in promoting and providing an outlet for the music that your supermarket, chain store or Warehouse doesn't stock. These stores are under threat world wide. In Auckland probably more record stores have closed in the last ten years than remain open. The result isn't just a decline in convenience. When small and specialist record stores disappear there is an impact on the kind of music that can be made, distributed and purchased. Chain stores just don't stock music from outside of the mainstream, their focus is on the dollar. While the people who run really good independent stores definitely want to make a buck they are also music fans and that makes all the difference.

One of the greatest record shops I've ever known was Crawlspace Records on K Road in Auckland. Focussing primarily on the punk / alternative end of the musical spectrum Crawlspace was well stocked and the staff were incredibly knowledgeable. I love it when you can discuss music with the person behind the counter. The fact that you can't do that in Real Groovy is the factor that means that store is not nearly as good as it could be, despite the huge range. I would go into Crawlspace and Stu would recommend stuff that had come in, because he knew my tastes and interests. Brilliant.

Crawlspace took love of the music to a new level. In addition to a shop there was a record label. They released material (mainly on vinyl)by up and coming New Zealand bands like Jakob, re-releases of lost classics like The Victor Dimisch Band's 'Native Waiter' and provided an outlet for people like Chris Heazlewood of King Loser to make excursions from their musical day jobs. Then there was the Artist Series, extremely limited run releases of experimental or "peripheral" NZ music pressed on 8" lathe cut plastic records known as Geraldine Pressings. These releases were always challenging, sometimes extraordinary. Take for example The Pointsman, a group that featured another shop staff member, Gonzo. While not to everyone's taste the eerie sound of a pickup being scraped over a balloon, accompanied by squalls of guitar feedback and drone released in a limited run of 25 is testament to a passion for art over economics. (Some of the Artist Series were collected on the CD compilations Fit for Kings and Fit for Kings 2)

I was genuinely upset when Crawlspace closed. I couldn't just go to another store and buy what I wanted there - it was actually the end of being able to access that music at all. While I have never found another record shop like it there are others that rate a mention, in particular Galaxy Records in Christchurch and Slow Boat Records in Wellington. In fact, to mark Record Store Day, Slow Boat are hosting an in-store performance by Samuel Flynn Scott.

I would be interested in hearing your record store stories and recommendations. Just click on comments below.

Download the Counting The Beat - Record Store Day Podcast

Like an illuminated ping-pong ball, that's the only way I can describe it.

In late 1978 / early 1979 there were a series of sighting of mysterious moving lights over the Kaikoura Range that many believed were extra-terrestrial craft. However, unlike many flying saucer sightings, these unexplained objects were seen by credible witnesses and were caught on film by a TV crew. There were even unexplained radar readings that coincided with their appearance. The event caught the imagination of the country and the world (you can see an American news report on the sightings here).

The Kaikoura lights were behind the title of the 1991 Flying Nun compilation Pink Flying Saucers Over the Southern Alps and 28 years after the event The Mysterious Tape Man recorded a track, 'Kaikoura U.F.O.' on his EP The Tape Man Goes to Outer Space.

The Kaikoura "U.F.O.s" were also the subject of the A-side of a single released by Napier band Five Year Mission in 1985. This outfit were as influenced by Sci-Fi TV as they were by punk and sometimes played live in Star Trek uniforms. Both sides of the single can be downloaded at the NZ Punk Archive.

Another sci-fi obsessed band were 1990's Gisborne group TK 421. They're one of those bands that seems lost to history with nothing about them at all available on the net. I remember seeing them play live once. When I requested a song from the EP they stopped and demanded to know how I knew their songs. They couldn't actually believe someone would buy their EP, "Crappy", which included both the track 'U.F.O.' included on the podcast and, probably their best song, 'Godzilla vs Tokyo'.

The podcast concludes with a track from one of my favourite bands of all-time, The 3-Ds. It is, of course 'Outer Space' (clip available on the video page).

Download the Counting The Beat - U.F.O. Podcast

New & Recent Releases March 08

Another month and another batch of great new releases. Over the last few weeks I have been returning again and again to a stunningly good EP, The Wolves, from Wellington band Secret Knives. The band mix chiming guitars with electronic textures and angsty, but not overwrought, vocals. Without sounding like any of the current crop of American indie bands like Vampire Weekend, Yeasayer, Beach House etc. they would sit comfortably in a playlist alongside those bands and match them for quality. For a New Zealand comparison think of maybe a happier Shocking Pinks. There is very little info to be had about the band but the seven track EP has been getting rave reviews on NZ and international blogs. This is one of my favourite NZ releases of the year and is available for FREE download from A Low Hum. Highly recommended.

Also out this month is an eclectic EP, You Have Been Warned from the New Telepathics, the musical vehicle for Darryn Harkness - producer, song writer and multi instrumentalist. Harkness has just recently returned from London and has played a bunch of live shows for the first time in nearly a decade. Both live and on the EP this is not standard fare. Harkness mixes sound improvisation, indie rock, afro-beat and jazz and out of it creates challenging and engaging music. Well worth watching is a live-in-the-studio performance recorded at the Red Bull studios. (I only just discovered this site but there is a whole treasure trove of material here for NZ music fans. I've posted one New Telepathics track on the video page).

Lawence Arabia is James Milne who also heads the Reduction Agents, whose album Dance the Reduction Agents was one of my favourite albums of 2006 and is highly recommended. Although very good I wasn't quite so keen on the self titled Lawrence Arabia album that came out around the same time, maybe it's just that I'm more of a band man, but this new song, 'Beautiful Young Crew', available on his myspace page, has really grabbed me.

Up next are Thousand Suns, who have released an album of easy-going guitar and percussion world-music influenced pop called Fascination. I have to say the bongo drum (I'm sure there must be a more correct musical term) got a bit much over a whole album but taken song by song there are some great laid-back summer tunes here as demonstrated on the song included in this episode - Something Beautiful Exists. You can buy the album and sample more tracks at Amplifier.

Steve Abel has long been a Counting The Beat favourite. His album Little Death won a well deserved Album of The Year in the inaugural Alternatuis. A new album, Flax Happy is due soon and the songs that have surfaced to date are certainly whetting the appetite for another classic. You can download 'Sad Girls' from Steve's website and hear 'Sally' on his myspace.

And a plea, English band House of Love recorded a cover of The Chills 'Pink Frost' which I have not been able to track down anywhere - does anyone have a copy I can get an MP3 of? Contact me at the email link at the top of the page.

Download the Counting The Beat - New Releases March 08

NZ @ SXSW

Liam Finn live at SXSW

Every year the New Zealand Music Commission makes a big fuss about the kiwi bands making an appearance at the auspicious South by Southwest (SXSW) music conference in Austin, Texas. I've always been a little cynical about this. The way it's been spun makes it sound like even getting on the bill is a sign of making it when in fact thousands of bands appear and I've yet to hear about an NZ act that made it big as result of making the trip. However, this year I've been following the conference on-line and it does sound like one hell of a good party. My plan now is to find some way of getting someone to pay for me to go to the next one.

There are a host of Counting The Beat favourites in this year's line up and this podcast episode will feature some of them including The Ruby Suns and former Alternatui winners The Mint Chicks. Also included are Rodney Fisher of Goodshirt and, the highlight, a couple of spectacular tracks from Liam Finn recorded live by America's National Public Radio at his show at this year's SXSW (you can hear his whole show here). Not featured is Wing, making an appearance this year as part of the NZ contingent.

Download the Counting The Beat - NZ @ SXSW podcast

Image: Joel Didriksen of kingpinphoto.com

Covering the Beat 2

If you spend a bit of time wandering around the internet reading music blogs (and since you're reading this, I presume you do) you'll find that there are a number of bloggers obsessed with covers. I'm pretty fond of them myself so a while back I decided that I would run an occassional series called Covering The Beat - NZ bands covering NZ bands. The first Covering The Beat featured three bands covering The Chills and is still available to download. This episode casts a wider net although Flying Nun originals still feature.

In 1997 Flying Nun released a tribute album entitled God Save The Clean featuring a diverse range of local and overseas acts covering songs by The Clean. There are a number of stand out tracks but one that received quite a bit of airplay at the time was Head Like A Hole's version of 'Beatnik'.

Also covering a Flying Nun classic are pop-punk outfit Elemeno-P. On their 2005 album Trouble in Paradise they unexpectedly included a pumped up version of The Verlaines' 'Death and The Maiden'. (original classic "rabbit" video on video page)

Now for something completely different. In 2007 Michel Rowland put together a real labour of love. She's Lost is an internet only compilation of dark-alt/industrial/electro/experimental acts covering favourite NZ songs. The whole album is worth a listen but there really is something special about industrial cyberpunk outfit N.U.T.E's take on John Rowles' song about his sister 'Cheryl Moana Marie'. (see John sing it on the video page)

To finish up, from the classic AK79 punk compilation I have The Terrorways' (pictured above) version of 'She's A Mod', originally by Ray Columbus and The Invaders.

Keep posted for more Covering the Beat specials in the future including a very special special, probably in two or three months time.

Download the Counting The Beat - Covering The Beat 2 podcast

Download the Counting The Beat - Covering The Beat: Chills Covers podcast