The Bats & Very Special Guests @ Sammys “Virtual Show” is nearly ready to go and is looking (and sounding) great.

Apologies for the delay in updating you all on progress. The time involved in the process of selecting songs, mixing sound and editing video was underestimated and I wanted to let you know when we had some definite information. Thanks you for being patient – I’m sure the results will be worth the wait.

There have also been some technical issues to resolve along the way. One technical issue we were unable to resolve was the quality of the sound recording for the David Kilgour & The Heavy Eights set. Unfortunately this means we have not been able to get songs to a quality we are prepared to release so sadly the “virtual show” will not include anything from David’s set.

To compensate the other 3 bands have each selected an additional song so the “virtual show” will now be 3 songs from Haunted Love, The Puddle & The Bats. I hope everyone is happy with that solution.

At the moment the edited video files are being converted to a standard format that will allow them to either be downloaded or burned to DVD. Some of you may have internet bandwidth or connection/ access issues which make the download option difficult. We will be offering a DVD of the “virtual show” to any of the “virtual show” ticket holders. While I am still hopeful we can get the download available before Christmas (fingers crossed) DVDs will take longer to finish are unlikely to be mailed until January.

You can view pictures of the show on the Rokpx website here

Sometimes it is not enough to have one crazy idea. Getting 4 bands together for a one-off show is one thing. Deciding to have the event filmed and shared with fans around the world who can’t make the show is another thing. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and when the bands and film-makers also thought it was a good idea it kind of took on a life of its own and the genie can’t be put back into the bottle any more… so here’s the press release on the “virtual show” idea:

“The Bats are playing the iconic Sammys Entertainment Venue in Dunedin, New Zealand on Saturday 7th November, culminating a sporadic world tour to promote their latest album, “The Guilty Office”. If you can’t make it to the show you can still share in this exclusive one-off event wherever you are in the world by purchasing a “virtual show” ticket for NZ$20.

The Bats are joined on the night by fellow Dunedin luminaries David Kilgour & The Heavy Eights, who recently launched a new album of Sam Hunt poems set to music, “Falling Debris” with shows around NZ, and underground legends The Puddle, fresh from their first NZ tour in ages to promote their new album “The Shakespeare Monkey”. Rounding off the night is the youthful boom cha-cha gothic pop of Haunted Love, who have just released their debut EP, the lovely, dark and sexy “Darkness in Diamond City” and promise a debut album next year.

In true Dunedin fashion all these bands are linked in history. Robert Scott from The Bats and David Kilgour play together in The Clean and Haunted Love provided the backing vocals for the latest Clean album, “Mister Pop”. The Puddle’s George D. Henderson played with David in The Great Unwashed on tour in the mid 1980s and The Great Unwashed’s Peter Gutteridge played keyboards in the first line-up of The Puddle before he formed Snapper.

Interest from fans around the world in this show prompted the “virtual show” idea from event organiser, The Puddle’s Ian Henderson. One US fan sent him the price of a ticket so she could “be there in spirit” setting off some brainstorming on ways to involve those dedicated fans who are unable to attend this show. A live internet stream was the first idea but would have some technical and quality challenges and stream at the wrong time of day for overseas fans. Instead the idea of filming the event on three cameras and editing together a “highlights package” of two songs picked by each band was suggested. This will be able to be downloaded approximately 6 weeks after the show (to allow time to mix and edit the production).by “virtual show” purchasers as a series of digital video files to play on their computer or burn to DVD yourself.

Of course it won’t be the same as being at Sammys in the cold reverb-filled semi-darkness and decaying grandeur of this unique live music venue. You won’t have your sense of smell assailed by the beer-soaked carpet or have drinks spilt on you as people dance badly to The Bats. But you will be able to say you were “there in spirit” and played a part in Dunedin’s music history by helping make a live video record of a unique Dunedin music event possible.

All you have to do is buy a ticket for the show and enter “virtual show” in the promotional code field. You will receive an electronic ticket for the show from Under the Radar as your receipt and your e-mail address will be forwarded to the event organiser who will contact you with progress on your “virtual show” downloads. You will also be able to immediately download the three exclusive MP3 files that come with the ticket pre-sales.”

UPDATE: 8 November 2009

The show took place last night so as of today the process of creating the “virtual show” highlights download has started!  It was a great show with a big crowd packing out Sammys and the bands all on form. The Under the Radar “virtual show” tickets above are no longer available however you can still buy the download for NZ$20 via PayPal by e-mailing me at fishrider [dot] records [at sign @ thing] yahoo [dot] co [dot] nz

The Bats at Sammys Dunedin 7 Nov 09

I’ve had a lot of questions since then on some of the details and the why’s and how’s so here’s some:
Q: Why don’t you stream it free?
A: The original idea was free stream and then an option of fans buying a high quality multi-camera video if they wanted but the quality of a live stream is limited where we are. Plus it would stream at the wrong time for USA and Europe unless we did some kind of delayed stream, which would seem to defeat the point of a live stream.

Q: Why are you selling it? Most bands put this stuff out free on YouTube etc.?
A: By “most bands” you probably mean U2 or the Flaming Lips or big corporate label backed artists who have money to do this stuff free as a marketing ploy. These bands are all penniless underground bands from the South Island of NZ and I’m borrowing the money to get the event filmed and edited because I think it’s worthwhile doing this. I’m sorry, but I’d like to be able to pay it off somehow and I’m depending on people who love these bands but can’t make the show to become part of this.

Q: Why only two songs from each band and why can’t we decide which songs?
A: I wanted to keep the file-sizes reasonable for downloads. Four bands playing for @3 hours is a lot of music and a huge HD video file. The bands wanted to decide which songs so that you can see them at their best.

Q: How will we receive our live video “virtual show”?
A: Not sure on exact details yet but via a download site using a link or a secure link. Final details will depend on file size and where these can be hosted and how we can do it. If anyone isn’t able to download stuff (eg: on dial-up or a limited internet plan) let me know and we can do it by data DVD in the mail.

Q: Why will it take so long to get the video file downloads?
A: The team doing the filming and editing are students finishing their film projects for their university masters degrees. I’ve agreed that they need to get these finished first (due end of November). There will be a lot of footage from multiple cameras plus behind-the-scenes stuff to edit and sync with the desk live sound. We think we can do it by mid-December so that’s what we are planning on. [UPDATE 8 Nov 09: We should be able to do it much sooner as we have some new film students working on this project who have finished their studies for the year]

Q: So, we pay the $20, how can we trust you to deliver?
A: You have my name and my e-mail and my word. If this doesn’t happen for any reason I’ll be refunding your $20 payments. I’ll e-mail all the virtual show ticket buyers after the show and be keeping you informed of progress with the project.

If anyone has any questions drop me, Ian Henderson, a line at fishrider [dot] records [at sign @ thing] yahoo [dot] co [dot] nz please and I’ll be happy to answer them.

OK, so this is a strange one for the first ever Pop Lib posting. I feel like these should be about alternative “pop” bands and particularly New Zealand ones. I’ve been wanting to post a rave about New Zealand dreampopsters Dear Time’s Waste but haven’t been able to write anything coherent yet. Soon, eh? In the meantime:

Tiny Vipers – “All hail the darkness – it is ours”

Jesy Fortino as Tiny Vipers (photo from the Burn to Shine DVD website)

Jesy Fortino is Tiny Vipers. Although on the two Sub Pop label albums to date occasional others have guested ghostly guitar, piano or noise accompaniments. It seems odd that Sub Pop – more usually associated with that visceral punch music above – is increasingly home to some of the quieter, gentler artists of the Pacific Northwest of the USA. Fleet Foxes, Grand Archives amongst others.

Jesy Fortino draws the inspiration for her dark art from the damp and dark forests of Washington State in the far Northwest of the USA. She was brought up living in the woods amongst secret-holding trees near Seattle – Twin Peaks country in every sense – and the tales of spirits, ghosts and hauntings that go with forests, long winters and lack of sunshine.

So it is fitting that her music is singularly haunted. While you could draw some superficial comparisons to recent artists like Joanna Newsom and Grouper what I hear draws deeply on more distant stuff – through the hypnotic drones of solo Nico and the wounded heart of Townes van Zandt and early ‘70s acoustic Neil Young right back through the blues and British and American folk, generations old.

Despite the reliance on the traditional folk elements of guitar and voice, Tiny Vipers is way out on the border of what would be accepted as “folk music”. The lush guitar tones and the gentle way that phrases and melodies are organically looped with hypnotic repetition while sometimes changing subtly over the course of a song often gives the music an ambient/ experimental feel.

The songs – which are often non-linear meditations on life and experience – are not cheerful. But neither are they at all depressing. There is something dangerously uplifting about the songs and music on “Life on Earth” which is way deeper than surface meanings. There is neither rage against anything, nor bitterness or despair. Just an oddly satisfying meditation on what is, what once was, and what may never be again.

There’s a video of a spine-tingling version of “Development” from the “Life on Earth” album and some live MP3s here.

There’s a lovely video shot of “On This Side” (from the first album “Hands Across the Void”) done for the Burn to Shine DVD series here.

Jesy Fortino explains how her upbringing in the woods near Seattle has helped shape her music:
“There’s this force that’s really mysterious and dark and always right there next to you. It keeps you on your feet, like you never know what could happen, or how different things become at night in woods.

“So when you do finally move into a city with people, they’re like “what the hell are you talking about?” They just don’t share the same experience. After a while you keep it a secret – “I’m just not going to talk about that stuff”, you know?”

Transcribed from Seattle Music Scene 2008 Part 2 (@2m 40)

The Bats have finally been persuaded to bring their “Guilty Office” album release world tour to Dunedin after a stop-start tour that has seen them visit all the other New Zealand main centres and play to packed out crowds in the UK, in Europe, and more recently in Australia.

Also sharing the bill with them are two other bands who have released critically acclaimed albums this year and have been touring recently. David Kilgour, backed by the Heavy 8s, recently released Falling Debris, his collaboration with poet Sam Hunt. He is rumoured to be working on new material for a more guitar-rock based album.

The Bats frontman Robert Scott along with David Kilgour and brother Hamish Kilgour have also recently released the first album by The Clean in 8 years, “Mister Pop”, making this a particularly productive year for the musicians playing on the 7th.

Haunted Love have also finally released their debut EP this year, the darkly beautiful “Heartbreak in Diamond City” and plan to follow it up with an album next year. They also contributed some haunted backing vocals to the Clean’s new album “Mister Pop” which brings some degree of connection to some of the other bands performing.

The Puddle took 25 years to grow from the ugly duckling of Flying Nun pop into a moulting swan. Their latest album “The Shakespeare Monkey” was hyped as “the pinnacle of indie-pop in Aotearoa” by the overly enthusiastic Southland Times and their recent NZ tour found them a new generation of fans with perhaps uncharacteristically tight performances of both new and, for the first time in many years, old material. They also recorded an EP while they were on tour.

The event will be an early start/ early finish too with the first band starting at 8:00 sharp and the night finishing around midnight.

Ticket pre-sales are $20 from www.undertheradar.co.nz from 25 September. These pre-sales will come with the codes to download MP3s of 3 unreleased tracks -(1) A new song called “The Silent Treatment” that Bob Scott recorded for a Kiwi by Proxy podcast interview he did last year, (2) a cool acoustic version of “Under Clouds” by David Kilgour also recorded for his Kiwi by Proxy podcast interview, and (3) a full studio recording by The Puddle of “Different Every Time” that was made during “The Shakespeare Monkey” sessions but didn’t make the album.

Door sales will be $25 ($20 for Radio Onecard holders) so pre-sales with the MP3 bonus are the way to go.

Here’s the set-list (and release these songs are from) for the epic final show of the recent NZ tour The Puddle undertook:

1. Billie & Franz (“Pop Lib”)
2. I’ve Lost My way in This World (“No Love – No Hate”)
3. Lacsydaisical (“Pop Lib” & “Live at the Teddy Bears Club”)
4. As It Was (“The Shakespeare Monkey”)
5. Into the Moon (“Into the Moon”)
6. So Good (“The Shakespeare Monkey”)
7. Monogamy (“Pop Lib” & “Live at the Teddy Bears Club”)
8. Tender Validation
9. Oh Hayley (You’re Right)
10. Victory
11. Purple Horse
12. Christmas in the Country
13. Stupid Man
14. Season of the Wolf (“Songs for Emily Valentine”)
15. Naked (“The Shakespeare Monkey”)
16. K3 (“Into the Moon”)
17. Saturday Morning, Valhalla
18. Thursday (“Thursday/ Too Hot to be Cool” 7” Single)
19. Everything Alright (“Into the Moon”)
20. Hudibras (“No Love – No Hate”)
21. Walrus Arabia
22. Rat Park (“Into the Moon”)

The Puddle in Auckland 25 July 09

The Puddle in the Radio NZ Studio, Wellington

The Puddle completed their first NZ tour in over 15 years in Auckland last weekend. Playing 9 shows and doing 4 radio live-to-airs and one record store instore over the past 4 weeks has given The Puddle a taste for life on the road and it is something we will look to repeat in the next year and maybe even get overseas (dreams are free). The band very quickly became a consistent and magical live band (according to those who came to the shows and told us so).

As a result of the tour the first pressing of the new album The Shakespeare Monkey is almost sold out – we only have 3 copies left here at Fishrider HQ! We will be getting it re-pressed soon but the first run of 500 will become collector’s items as the next pressing run will be in a simple cardboard fold-out sleeve rather than the lovely 6 panel plus lyric booklet fold-out cardboard sleeve of that first pressing.

While in Wellington George was interviewed by Kim Hill on Radio New Zealand on 18 July and the band recorded 5 songs for a live session in the Radio NZ studio (Tender Validation, Hudibras, Seduced by Virgins, As it Was and Friends) which was broadcast on Music 101 on Saturday 25th July.

The Puddle were interviewed for the NZOwn show on Juice TV and recorded 5 new songs while they were in Auckland (the Walrus Arabia sessions at Frisbee Studio) and will be releasing them on Fishrider Records as an EP later this year (possibly with some bonus tracks from the live radio sessions recorded on tour) and also possibly released as a very limited edition 10″ vinyl EP/ Mini-album.

Other exciting news from the tour was that we found out while we were in Hamilton that the 16-track recordings for the “lost” 1996 Puddle album are still in existence. Plans are afoot to prepare this for release sometime.

The Puddle & Fishrider Records would like to thank the following for their assistance on the tour: Si @ Yellow-Eye, jamey @ Phantom, Andrew at Cheese on Toast, Angela @ Under the Radar, The Dark Beaks, Hector Hazard @ Chicks, Radio 1, RDU, William Daymond and Green Eyed Owl, Deborah @ Wunderbar, Rob Mayes, Nell at Frank’s Cafe, Rex, Dave & Aldous (Rex Bourke & The Aways), Mick & Ros @ Volcano Radio, Tim at Goodbye Blue Monday, Michael Owl for sound there, The Transistors for letting us play at their show (and for not breaking our bass amp when they smashed up their gear at the end of their set when they played “Sonic Reducer”), Miles Buckingham @ Uncharted and Radio Active, Mark Cubey and Kirsten Johnston & the sound techs @ RNZ, Kiran Dass, Mark of Marineville & Greg Cairns for the use of his Rogers kit, Warwick & Helen @ Happy, Chris, Rhys & Bruce the Bulldog @ Victoria Court Motor Lodge, Wellington, Bob Frisbee, Andrew Maitai, Owen Harris, John Baker, Ben+Bruno, Dear Time’s Waste, Shaft, John & Kathryn Widdup, Ward Lane & Chris Paki in Hamilton, The Hollow Grinders, Matthew Bannister, Charlotte & Lauren @ bFM, Aroha @ Juice TV, Wallace Chapman at Kiwi FM, Colin @ Dog’s Bollix and anyone else we have missed.

But most of all The Puddle & Fishrider Records would like to thank all the many hundreds who came out to see The Puddle on this tour and who made a lot of noise and told us you loved us and bought the albums and the Pop Lib T-Shirts. We had a great time because of you all.

The Puddle are halfway through their New Zealand tour now.  The shows so far have been:

Fri 3 July at Circardian Rhythm in Dunedin with the Dark Beaks - this was a set of mostly new songs from the two most recent albums.

Sun 5 July at Chicks Hotel, Port Chalmers – this was a set of first decade (84-94) songs as a kind of 25th anniversary special. Thanks to all those who came out to Chicks and made this such a memorable night.

Thursday 9 July at Wunderbar, Lyttelton with Green Eyed Owl (an offshoot of The Pickups)- this was a set with a bit of everything in it and some interesting exchanges with the crowd. We’ll follow up on that idea of Puddle figurines and dolls to add to our merchandise options, thank-you.

Friday 10 July at Frank’s Cafe in Greymouth on the West Coast with Rex Bourke & The Aways (Rex’s new post-Dellburgoes band). The drive over the snowy mountain passes was brilliant as was the hospitality from Nell at the Cafe and the warm welcome we received from the Greymouth crowd. An epic set of about two and half hours was played there to satisfy the crowd who wouldn’t let us stop until after 1 am.

Saturday 11 July – first stop was back in Lyttelton for a live to air from the Volcano Radio studio here followed by an interview then off to Goodbye Blue Monday in Christchurch where we played a set of mostly 84-94 decade songs to a good crowd.

Coast to Coast, South Island, New Zealand

We covered 1400 kilometres on the South Island trip. Up next is the North Island leg starting with Wellington this coming weekend, playing at Happy in Wellington city on Saturday 18th. The gig we had arranged for Friday 17th has sadly been cancelled as the venue, Aunt Daisy’s Boathouse, closed down this week and it has been too late to arrange an alternative.

Shows coming up are:
Sat 18 July @ Happy, Wellington at 9pm ($15) with marineville

Thu 23 July @ Bacco (at Totos Restaurant), Auckland at 8pm ($15 pre-sales/ $20 door sales) with Ben+Bruno and the wonderful Dear Times Waste and Shaft!

Fri 24 July @ Ward Lane, Hamilton 8:30 ($15) withThe Hollow Grinders
Saturday 25 July @ Dogs Bollix,Auckland, 9:00 ($15) also with The Hollow Grinders. This will be the last gig of the tour so we’ll play until we drop and will try to air as many of the favourites as we can manage. There will be different sets each of the two night in Auckland so catch them both if you can. Who knows when the Puddle will tour like this again or be as sharp as this again!

The Puddle on tour in July in NZ

Former Flying Nun Records outsider psych-pop legends The Puddle are undertaking their first NZ tour since the early 1990s in July.

The Puddle celebrate 25 years of continual existence this year. Formed in Dunedin by George D. Henderson in 1984, The Puddle released an EP (Pop Lib), a live album (Live at the Teddy Bear Club), a studio album (Into the Moon) and a 7″ single (Thursday) on Flying Nun between 1986 and 1993…. all long since deleted and rarer than radium now.

An album recorded in 1993 and thought by George to be so good it would release itself (Songs for Emily Valentine) yielded the bNet hit “Southern Man” appearing on the 1993 bFM “Louder” compilation and a 7” single “Power of Love” on French label Acetone, before the album was eventually released on Powertool Records in 2005.

But this tour isn’t a nostalgia trip. The Puddle have recently released two new critically-acclaimed underground albums – “No Love – No Hate” (2006) and “The Shakespeare Monkey” (2009) – on Dunedin label Fishrider Records. Their irregular live performances over the past decade have focused on current and future material rather than playing the greatest hits they never had. That said, there will always be a selection of songs from their bewildered past.

Fri 3 July – Circadian Rhythm, Dunedin (with The Dark Beaks, from 9:30 pm)

Sun 5 July – Chicks Hotel, Port Chalmers (with The Dark Beaks, early gig 8 – 11)

Thu 9 July – Wunderbar, Lyttelton (with Green Eyed Owl, from 9 pm)

Fri 10 July – Frank’s Cafe, Greymouth (with Rex Bourke & the Aways, from 9 pm)

Fri 17 July – Aunt Daisy’s Boathouse, Titahi Bay (with Marineville) Cancelled (venue has closed down)

Sat 18 July – Happy, Wellington (with Marineville)

Thu 23 July – Bacco (at Totos), Auckland (with Ben+Bruno, Dear Time’s Waste and Shaft, from 7:30 pm – pre-sales $15 here)

Fri 24 July – Ward Lane, Hamilton (with The Hollow Grinders)

Sat 25 July – Dogs Bollix, Auckland (with The Hollow Grinders)

Pre-sales of tickets can be obtained here - worthwhile as some venues are small.

PS: Keep an eye/ ear out for extra shows, in-stores, free shows, live-to-airs and all the fun of the fair that could happen while The Puddle are on the road.

The Southland Times (NZ) * * * *

“Album pinnacle of Kiwi indie pop.

More than 25 years spent underground have done nothing to diminish George Henderson’s vision.

His prolific musical vehicle the Puddle hark back to the golden era of Flying Nun and the Dunedin sound, although the vast range and depth of his music reveal influences from all points of the pop lexicon.

Henderson’s poppish, poetic, achingly beautiful and often edgy songs shimmer with intelligence, angst and wit, and his guitar parts are understated and always appropriate.

The Puddle circa 2009 include Gavin Shaw on bass and Henderson’s brother Ian – a former music critic for The Southland Times a decade or two back – on drums, a bit of every other instrument, artwork, photography and sound recording. His single-stroke drumming is lean, clean and musical, in the same vein as the Puddle’s former long-time drummer Heath Te Au, who left the band in 2007.

The songs on The Shakespeare Monkey meander from the ethereal (Friends) to the biting (So Good, Shivver), to the blatantly Dylanesque (Dylanesque). Wistful melodies and sympathetic arrangements put George Henderson’s voice front and centre, where his deliciously bittersweet lyrics get the platform they deserve.

Widely acknowledged as one of New Zealand’s most insightful lyricists, he has the talent and humour to rhyme “virgins” with “aspersions” and not sound twee.

The Shakespeare Monkey represents the pinnacle of the indie pop craft in Aotearoa. It’s an album that, at 17 tracks long, is best (and easily) absorbed in a single sitting, where its lovely ebb and flow can best be appreciated.” Chris Chilton

Uncut (UK) * * *

“Quiet return for Kiwi pop underdog. The Puddle’s George Henderson’s had a shockingly bad run with releases – up until recently, all he had to show for 25 years of writing beautifully resigned guitar pop was a few taps and albums on New Zealand’s Flying Nun imprint. The Shakespeare Monkey will have you wondering why: it’s full of the kind of articulate and well-read pop songs that made Henderson’s home country the epicentre of literate guitar music in the 1980s and ‘90s. A little wordy at times, The Shakespeare Monkey still charms.” Jon Dale

The Sunday Times (UK) * * *

“Economic stringency swathed the New Zealand indie bands of the 1980s in a lo-fi fug. A quarter of a century on, George Henderson and his Dunedin doodlers, the Puddle, have transcended surface noise. This unexpected new album encapsulates perfectly that distinctly velvety Aotearoan drone-pop sound. Henderson’s Flying Nun label-mates of yore – the Chills, the Verlains and Sneaky Feelings – have long since burnt out, but the tortoise of New Zealand rock finally honours his forgotten promise.” Stewart Lee

Real Groove magazine (NZ)

“As promised in last month’s feature, George D. Henderson’s The Puddle have delivered a new album of shimmering, shambling pop songs which could have come from nowhere else but New Zealand. For anyone lusting after the Flying Nun glory days, this album makes a perfect soundtrack to summer.” (Duncan Grieve – Top 10 Deadline Distractions)

The Otago Daily Times (NZ) * * * *

“This fourth studio album from George D. Henderson’s perpetually mutating band delivers a heartening return on a 25-year investment. Rich in craftily constructed melodies and sounding crisper, cleaner and more lithe than many of the Puddle’s previous efforts, it places Henderson squarely where he has long deserved to be: among the pantheon of Kiwi rock deities.

From crusty crooner to razor-sharp guitar gem to dreamy instrumental, it’s impossible to deny the charm of these 17 tracks. Could it be that the best is yet to come from this master of understated pop?

Single download: So Good

For those who like: pop songs with as many challenges as hooks”

]]> http://fishriderrecords.wordpress.com/2009/03/29/reviews-for-the-shakespeare-monkey/feed/ 0 fishrider http://fishriderrecords.wordpress.com/2009/03/01/an-update-on-the-puddle/ http://fishriderrecords.wordpress.com/2009/03/01/an-update-on-the-puddle/#comments Sun, 01 Mar 2009 02:16:14 +0000 fishriderrecords http://fishriderrecords.wordpress.com/?p=47 ]]>

The Puddle playing in Auckland, NZ 26 February 2009

The Puddle recently played in Auckland along with The Able Tasmans who had reformed for a one-off performance and the Able Tasmans off-shoot Humphreys & Keen.

[Thanks to Owen Harris for the photo]

The album “The Shakespeare Monkey” is finally available in record stores throughout NZ, distributed by Yellow Eye.

Here are some links to recent reviews:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4861689a19080.html

http://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/music/40532/cd-reviews

http://www.twang-tone.de/almonth.html

Also came across this great quote from Able Tasmans bass player Jane Dodd:

Which musicians from the early Dunedin days do you feel most lived up to their promise?

Promise is such a funny word — Downes, Kilgour, Carter, Bannister/Pine achieved so much early on that they had fulfilled all promises by their mid-twenties. If you mean who is still doing it now, Shane’s new Dimmer stuff is great — especially the first album “I believe you are a star”. I haven’t heard much else recently that has really got me. George Henderson of the Puddle never promised anything but delivered pure magic — he is a neglected genius.

Read the full interview here: http://www.grimalco.com/verlaines/jane_qs.htm