Tidal Rave announce new “Albumette” with single “Banana”

Pōneke/ Wellington jangle / surf / fuzz-pop sextet Tidal Rave return with a new single “Banana” ahead of the launch of their snazzily titled “Albumette” following up their 2020 album “Heart Screams”.

“Banana” contemplates the enjoyment of the banana as a convenient and nourishing food, while also pondering ethical dilemmas about exploitative labour practices by large multi-national banana growers, expressing the pleasure/ guilt dilemma of western consumption that many of us grapple with.

Tidal Rave are on tour in August/ September –
Friday 13th August – Yot Club, Raglan w/ Lizard Prom, Yer Maw’s 5g Meatsuit
Saturday 14th August – The Wine Cellar, Auckland w/ Lizard Prom, Cootie Cuties
Saturday 21st August – Newtown Sports Bar, Wellington w/ Terror of the Deep, Bird Feeder
Friday 27th August – The Crown, Dunedin w/ Alpha Delta, Blue Cheese
Saturday 28th August – Wunderbar, Lyttleton w/ Solo Ono, Model Home
Friday 11th September – Snails, Palmerston North w/ Swampwitch, Solo Ono

Video Credits

Director and camera

• Hayley Theyers – Hayley Theyers Photography

Editor 

• Jessy O’Connor – Youtube channel www.youtube.com/internetjessy

Camera

• James Gilberd – James Gilberd Photography Ltd / Photospace

Wrangler extraordinaire 

• Jo Williams – www.jwframing.com  @JWFramingWellington on Facebook

And thanks to All Good Fairtrade Bananas for donating ALL THE BANANAS!   

New single & video from Emily Fairlight

Emily Fairlight has released a new single – “Lips Lasso” – with a video, and hints at a new album in 2020.

“This song was written in three different houses, in three very different states of mind about the same shit situation. The video represents this internal conflict.” Fairlight explains.

The video, made from Fairlight’s concept by Julian Vares, is as mysterious as it is unsettling.

Fairlight self-released a limited LP run of her beautifully dark folk album “Mother of Gloom” in mid-2018. It sold out quickly. Following Fairlight’s relocation south, Dunedin label Fishrider Records re-released the album earlier this year, together with UK label Occultation Recordings.

“Lips Lasso” was recorded in the hills above Dunedin. In addition to Fairlight on guitar and vocals, the song features bassist Rob Collins along with Michael McLeod (The Shifting Sands, Bad Sav), violinist Alex Vaatstra and guitarist David Kilgour.

Emily Fairlight – photo by jasmine Wong

“Mother of Gloom” by Emily Fairlight

“Mother of Gloom” became a listening staple at Fishrider HQ after Emily Fairlight self-released and self-distributed a small-run LP pressing self-release of the album last year. Understandably that initial LP run sold out quickly.

Fishrider Records is thrilled to be able to now (re)release of the album on gatefold sleeve LP and CD.  Once again this album will be co-released with Occultation Recordings in the UK, giving the album a deserved international release in June.  The album is also available to pre-order LPs and CDs on Bandcamp

The music on Emily Fairlight’s “Mother of Gloom” album stands its ground alongside the storytelling of Will Oldham and the soundscapes of Calexico. Each song is a timelessly elegant, sometimes distressed, vignette, capturing the essence of a place, memory or feeling, framed by a varied palette musical arrangements leaving space for the imagination between the sounds. Her vocal style – a stark, haunting tone, teak-hard yet soft as crushed velvet, with a powerful vibrato – is as distinctive as her songcraft.

“Fairlight is a folk singer with a touch of the weird and wonderful, travelling the same backroads as songwriters such as Will Oldham, PJ Harvey, Karen Dalton, Cat Power, Aldous Harding and Nadia Reid. “Mother of Gloom” is a warm and intimate set of songs that highlight her ability to find shadowy moods in her music and most vividly via her exceptional and haunting voice.” (Post to Wire)

Fairlight – who now resides in Dunedin – has been composing and performing for over a decade now. She has played throughout NZ and Australia, and her third trip to the USA saw her record Mother of Gloom with Doug Walseth at The Cat’s Eye Studio in Austin, Texas, aided by local musicians including Cully Symington (Bright Eyes, Okkervil River) and multi-instrumentalist Kullen Fuchs. The recordings were mixed by Ben Edwards’ at his Sitting Room studios near Lyttelton harbour where New Zealand folk and country sensations Aldous Harding, Delaney Davidson, Marlon Williams and Nadia Reid created their breakout works.

In February Fairlight, backed by The Shifting Sands, played 12 shows opening for Marlon Williams across the length and breadth of New Zealand. During March Fairlight played shows at the SXSW festival in Texas with a backing band including Mike McLeod from The Shifting Sands and drummer Chris Butchard from The Prophet Hens.

Bad Sav on Bad Sav (and their “bad sav” album)

Bad Sav released their self titled debut album “bad sav” a few months ago. The band have existed on and off for 10 years so have established a bit of a cult following here in NZ. For the benefit of those not familiar with the band here are a couple of recent interviews with Bad Sav guitarist, vocalist and song-writer Hope Robertson.

“It’s just nice to make a big racket, and keep it contained within that pop music format.”

From Naughty But Noise in NZ Musician.

“When I write a song if I’m so upset or angry or an emotion has gone beyond words, and just write some music and say, “Well, that sums it up”, I don’t think there’s any words necessary. At other times, words are totally necessary; if there’s an actual issue that’s happened or something you wanna discuss with yourself in songwriting then I’ll do that… I just like the repetition of finding a riff that makes you feel better about life and just playing it for ages.”

From an interview in Under the Radar NZ.

 

Bad Sav release “bad sav”

Bad Sav’s album is out and available around the world now. It’s already receiving appreciative feedback and reviews. Here’s a sample –

Bad sav “conjure epic maelstroms of distorted guitars, pounding drums, reverbed vocals and squalling noisescapes to teleport listeners into their bruised sonic universe” (UTR).

“there’s nothing laid back about this simmering crockpot of shoegaze, drone-rock, gritty instrumentals, architectural constructions of psyche guitar and pure pop-rock melodies.”(Elsewhere)

“a fine set of gray, shoegazer-tinged post-punk combining fuzzy, atmospheric guitars, brooding vocals and hypnotic song hooks.” (KEXP)

“Bad Sav combine chiaroscuro swirls of guitar with echoing, far-off vocals for an album rich in mystery.” (Bandcamp New & Notable)

“Shoegaze for David Lynch fans, turmoiled, disturbing guitar-pop, dark, intriguing psychedelia, Bad Sav sound stormy, nocturnal and cinematic.” (Bloodbuzzed)

“We’re digging the blend of chugging rhythms, dreamy vocal delivery and guitars that jangle in a distant fuzzed out way – like Dinosaur Jr and Bailterspace in a dream pop haze.” Doubtful Sounds

The photo above shows the LP versions of our two most recent album releases and a photo of Hope Robertson and Lucinda King, the two musicians, songwriters, vocalists & creative visionaries common to both these quite different albums from Death And The Maiden (“Wisteria”) and Bad Sav.

Each of the two albums is a distinct and remarkable sound world, the result of extraordinary imaginations. Many have already bought these on LP, CD or DL – for which we are all very grateful.

There are still many more who would adore these albums if they knew of them and heard them. If you agree, please help spread the word and share this around. Thank you!

Bad Sav announce their 1st album

If guitar rock is dead, no-one told Bad Sav. The latest blast of Analogue Dunedin comes from the band that refused to be left behind. Although featuring Death And The Maiden guitarist/vocalist Hope Robertson and bassist/vocalist Lucinda King, plus Shifting Sands guitarist Mike McLeod (on drums here), Bad Sav are the primary strain from which both of those bands sprang.

When asked to describe her band’s sound in a 2010 interview (and yes, Bad Sav have been around for a bit, forming in 2008), Hope suggested “…a missed punch and a grazed fist. Sad, heavy, unpredictable loud pop”. Indeed, Bad Sav offer a far more guitar-oriented hard attack than DATM; their distinctive filtering and reassembly of influences from shoegaze, psychedelic noise-rock – and goodness knows where else – conjure up a uniquely electrified Dunedin sonic alchemy, bursting with colossal, majestic, melodic noise.

If you could define an emerging band by the bands they have been asked to play support slots for (and we are not suggesting you can), then what would a band asked to open for The Dead C, The Terminals, Sebadoh and The Cult sound like? Well, like Bad Sav, clearly. Guitarist Hope Robertson not only occupied the same position on the Dunedin Town Hall stage as Cult guitarist Billy Duffy but also filled the cavernous venue with as skillfully crafted guitar noise as Duffy.

Bad Sav’s debut album mixes off-kilter earworm pop with post-rock noise and huge soaring instrumentals eminently suitable for soundtracking epic space battles scenes or exploding universes in huge science fiction movies. “Hen’s Teeth” is the first song the band has chosen to share ahead of the album release worldwide on 21 September 2018.

Death And The Maiden talk about “Wisteria”

“Wisteria” has been out for a month now. Here’s a quick catch up on some of the responses to the album and interviews with the band.

UK magazine/ website The Quietus reviewed “Wisteria”, declaring it “an album that, at once, glistens with a hearty pulse and drifts further and further into ghostly fog…Beautiful, scary and endlessly evocative”.

The review was by Mick Middles, author of “Factory: The Story of the Record Label”, writing about a band from Dunedin, about as far away from Manchester as it is possible to go on earth.

Lucinda and Hope talked about his review in an interview on Dunedin’s access radio station.  Lucinda and Danny talked to Music 101 on Radio New Zealand explaining the background of some of the album’s songs.

The band also talked to local newspaper the Otago Daily Times, where Lucinda revealed her lyrics are influenced by the setting of their home town, Port Chalmers. “I walk around Back Beach in Port Chalmers a lot and that’s where a lot of my lyrics are written – as I’m walking, usually in cold weather.”

Source – ‘Weekend Mix’ in the Otago Daily Times 2 June 2018

Élan Vital – Aus/ NZ tour & new video

Èlan Vital – Renee Barrance, Danny Brady, Nikolai Sim [photo by Phoebe Lysbeth Kay]

Élan Vital are playing Melbourne, Hobart, Auckland, Whanganui and Wellington in a tour starting late January. They have also shared a new video for “Dreams” from their “Shadow Self” album, featuring the Fabulous Dancing Diamante Cocaine Horse Head

View the video and read the stranger-than-fiction story behind its ‘star’ at Noisey Music.

Tour Dates:

24 Jan: The Yarra – Melbourne w/ V, Luodown & Permission

27 Jan: The Brisbane – Hobart w/ The Pits & Hearts Beach

28 Jan: (Secret House Party) – Hobart w/ All the Weathers

29 Jan: Northcote Social Club – Melbourne w/ Second Sight,

30 Jan: Tom Tom Club – Melbourne w/ Embedded Figures & Hex Waves

31 Jan: Wine Cellar – Auckland w/ E/N/T

1 Feb: Lucky Bar – Whanganui  w/ E/N/T

2-4 Feb: Eyegum’s ‘A Gathering in the Forest’ Festival

7 Feb: Caroline – Wellington w/ E/N/T

The psychedelic, dreamlike dance video for their single ‘Dreams’ was created by regular collaborator and light witch extraordinaire, Erica Sklenars (Lady Lazer Light). It is a playful, fun video featuring a replica of the notorious diamante horse head from New Zealand’s biggest ever cocaine bust.

Inspired by the ridiculous beauty of the object and the comical hubris of the failed drug smuggling operation, Erica created a replica diamante-studded horse head. The diamante horse head has traveled from Winter Solstice dance floors in Dunedin to Wellington house parties and now stars in a DIY video for “Dreams”.

The Shifting Sands announce a new 7″ single and share a video for “Run”

The Shifting Sands with Manny Nieto in LA.

The Shifting Sands announced a new 7″ single today, sharing a video for a new song called “Run” which appears on the single, due out towards the end of January 2018. [UPDATE: the single is finally on its way to NZ and we expect to have it in stock and to fulfill pre-orders in the week of 12 February 2018. Thanks for your patience!]

The Shifting Sands  Zoe/ Run (7” single)

After touring the West Coast of the USA supporting David Kilgour and the Heavy Eights, Mike McLeod booked studio time at Manny’s Estudio International in East Los Angeles. Far less glamorous in reality than it all may sound says Mike.

Joining the Shifting Sands for the sessions was guest guitarist Steven Schayer – a then LA-based musician with NZ connections, having played in The Chills during the early 90’s US-based “Soft Bomb” album era.  Steven brought a different flavour to complement the independent DIY No. 8 wire approach of The Shifting Sands.

Manny Nieto also brought a different flavour to the table, producing the tracks. Manny has worked with Steve Albini and has recorded bands like the Breeders and Los Lobos.

Whereas previous albums had been layered in fuzzy guitars and synthesizers, this session involved less layers, but more harmonic breadth within the layers. Tom added bass tracks on an 8 string bass, Mike adding a bass 6 – a guitar tuned down one octave.

While there are less layers of harmonic distortion – a characteristic component of the Shifting Sands sound – there is still a lot of harmonic complexity, just realised in a different way to the approach the Shifting Sands took on their first two LPs.

The band recorded on a Neotek console and via a two-inch tape machine, before mixing down through a ¼ inch tape reel.  Back in Dunedin the songs were mastered by Tex Houston. The 7” vinyl release format completes this analogue approach.

These songs reflect a special moment in time, in the sweltering heat of Los Angeles, while the band were far from their busy normal lives and able to spend time purely focused on making music, in a vastly different environment to their home town of Dunedin, and their base at Chicks Hotel in Port Chalmers.

Port Chalmers, Dunedin

 

Élan Vital “Shadow Self” release tour

Élan Vital are about to embark on their first NZ tour, in support of their debut album “Shadow Self”. You can find out more about the album in an informative interview with the band on Under the Radar.  

UK mail-order specialists Norman Records summed up the appeal of “Shadow Self” succinctly: “The trio pull off a fine thing in taking the rich organ sounds of vintage days and applying their textures to the structures of synth-pop. Yum yum! Shadow Self is moody and dance-able dream-pop to lose your head in.” 

NZ TOUR DATES –

Dunedin 21.4.2017
None Gallery with Strange Harvest and Pesk
https://www.facebook.com/events/1009159292519159/

Wellington 28.4.2017
Caroline with Earth Tongue and Ë ‘ ñ , T
https://www.facebook.com/events/1466769236728679/

Auckland 29.4.2017
The Wine Cellar with Peach Milk and The Pleasure Majenta
https://www.facebook.com/events/403159800068836/

Auckland 30.4.2017
Audiofoundation with File Folder
https://www.facebook.com/events/795224270644572/

Christchurch 6.5.2017
New City Hotel with Dog Power and Ov Pain
https://www.facebook.com/events/1867243293534981/