Country & Urban

New Zealand-born country singer/ songwriter Keith Urban’s “Rollercoaster” gets a Grammy nom, while Keith himself fronts Music Row mag and toasts his top-ten success.

 

Neil plugged in

New Zealand maestro Neil Finn talks live, performs and announces the launch of his new website.

 

Spin the disc

Radio Pacific DJ Des Coppins hit the airwaves nude after losing his shirt, and his trousers, in an unwise bet.

 

Perspective

New Zealand-based singer Lucky Ali’s latest album cover reads: “The artist acknowledges that his success and acceptance is as temporary in nature as his own existence and that there…

Crowded post

Aussie(?) pop heroes Crowded House to feature on Australian Post stamps.

Edge Music

“Folk and traditional tunes” from New Zealand feature on the Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus’ new CD, Flights of Song.

Dream note

New Zealand-based Indian singer-songwriter Lucky Ali talks about his “upbeat, perky and positive” album and his two wives.

Popstar export

Put it up there with kiwifruit and spreadable butter – the Popstars formula has become a unique New Zealand export success. Pop-packager extraordinaire David Foster will be involved in…

INXS Movie

Kiwi singer Jon Stevens will feature in parts of the upcoming band bio-pic. Stevens replaced the late Hutchence, the only line-up change in fifteen years.

 

Harvey tour

Singer-song writer PJ Harvey heads to the edge for a summer tour.

Out of flight juice

Kiwi music icons The Mutton Birds are due to tour the UK. They’re expecting a warm reception, but nervous they’ll be grounded if petrol shortages strike again.

Aria noms for Shihad

Shihad, hard edge rockers of Wellington, now Melbourne, have three nominations for the Australian Recording Industry Awards, the Arias: best group, best album and best rock album.

Menace Knox in Chicago

Truly edgey Chris Knox described as “an acerbic, forceful wit, accomplished tunesmith and almost menacingly extroverted showman.”

Post-punk Beat

“New Zealand post-punker Chris Knox and Austin, Texas-based cult figure Daniel Johnston are as indie as indie gets. Both write unflinching lyrics about love, life and madness. Both record…

High Dependency Unit and Loraxx play Chicago

The Chicago Independent Arts Festival begins in early October. New Zealand bands High Dependency Unit and Loraxx are going to be there, giving Chicagoites a…

Musicking: an activity not a thing

New Zealander Christopher Small’s books have been paradigm-changing events. His latest “Musicking” focuses on what Small believes is music’s ultimate function: “to provide insight into relationships: between and among…

Striking a Cool Note

The arts festival running concurrently with the games in Sydney features Vaughan William’s Sinfonia Antarctica performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, with narration by Sir Edmund…

Listen up there, folks!

Jim Cuddy, one of the starring acts at the upcoming Ottawa Folk Festival, praises the depth of folk talent in New Zealand, but claims we’re not sufficiently proud of…

Chris Knox: Not the Hallmark variety

Rolling Stone praises Chris Knox’s latest effort: “You can always count on a rock eccentric to make you scratch your head – but touch your heart? That’s usually not…

Rock at Home

Alex Ross’ investigation of New Zealand music rock: “surface blips in the international musical marketplace give only a hint…

Festival founding flutist celebrates the Hampton summer

Internationally acclaimed New Zealand-born flutist Marya Martin (Winner of the prestigious Young Concert Artists International Auditions) is the flute and artistic artistic director of the Bridgehampton Chamber…

The Dunedin Sound #2

On August 9th, the 34th annual MacCrimmon Piobaireachd recital took place, as always, in the drawing room of Dunvegan Castle in Skye, Scotland, the seat of the 29th Chief…

Lilith Lacroix Goes to the Olympics

Well she’ll be performing, but at the Opera House, not Stadium Australia. Lilith, aka New Zealand composer Gareth Farr, brings his percussion concertos, Hikoi and Wairua to the Sydney…

Kiwi singer new sensation in INXS

Two years after the death of Michael Hutchence, Australian rock legends INXS have announced that they will return with former Noiseworks lead-singer Kiwi Jon Stevens at the mike. “We’ve…

Firmly at the Front of the Nu-skool Jazz and Beats Movement

On the verge in London, Mark de Clive-Lowe’s album Six Degrees continues to spread the vibe. ” has assembled a collection of spacy tracks ornamented by his elegant…

Neighbours no more: Kiwi pop culture export success reverses the flow

Aussie girl-group Bardot, the most manufactured band in the history of pop, have become a sensation. “Popstars”, the hit TV show that followed their evolution from nobodies to Spice…

Oceania Merge the Edges With Log Drums and Electro Beats

Former leader of Killing Joke Jaz Coleman joins Maori singer Hinewehi Mohi in a high-tech fusion on their eponymous debut. “This isn’t a fashion record for me, or a passing flirtation…

Kiwi Professor of Pop Crafts Summer Sounds from Nashville

“If there were advanced academic degrees for pop music, songwriter Tim Finn would have achieved professor emeritus status long ago. This Split Enz and Crowded House alum is a…

Masters class

Jazz legend Ian Chaplin was joined in concert by the Gerard Masters Trio. Young NZ pianist Masters was hailed as an “imaginative deconstructionist” and his trio “a highly individualistic…

Tim Finn Inspires Repeat of History in Boston

Finn’s Boston show prompts memories at Boston gig-guide Go!. Years ago, ” was introduced to an outstanding New Zealand pop outfit called the Split Enz. A friend’s older sister…

Courtney Love: Nelson Girls old-girl takes on Napster

As a user Courtney loves Napster, but it carries some risks and the Hole lead singer is wary of corporate relationships in general, “If you want some little obedient…

Art Bin editor itches to be scratched

Auckland based Elam School of Fine Arts lecturer Phil Dadson’s innovative percussion group ‘From Scratch’ makes Art Bin editor’s “favourite things” list.

This is our music

“It pays my way and it corrodes my soul … oh give us the money” sings Kiwi indie star Dean Wareham, ex-lead singer of Galaxie 500 has joined the…

Deep Forest Blends With Massive Attack in Oceanic Swirl

Oceania, with the release of its self-titled debut album and led by ex-Killing Joke frontman Jaz Coleman, makes a spirited and successful atempt to bring Maori music from New Zealand to…

Alt-rock poster boys Luna lose a little sheen

Founding bassist Justin Harwood has resigned his position behind the bass, and after eight years in the band, will return to his native New Zealand to raise his newborn…

Mr. Electric and the Superdudes body-rock at New Orleans Jazz Fest

Up and down South Peters Street, a group of fun-loving folk calling themselves the “Superdudes” led by Mr. Electric (a 30-year-old former model from New Zealand) danced, enlisting as…

Six degrees of connection for Mark de Clive-Lowe

London’s music press has connected with Clive-Lowe’s  album Six Degrees.  Already played on the main dance-floor at the Ministry of Sound and touted as a new step in “futurejazz”…

Sounds of Oceania find home in Amazon

For much of last month Kiwi release Oceania was featured on the home page of AmazonMusic.com. “Exotic and mutable, the music of Oceania grounds itself in ancient culture while…

Malaysian crooner returns to charts with New Zealand edge

Malaysian singing star Kathy Ibrahim (who swayed hearts in the late 70’s with such classic as Oh Malaysia) returns to Malaysia to record after an eight year spell in…

Kiwi blows her bassoon as single-sex barriers make the news

New Zealand woman Rosamund Allison became the first woman to be recruited to the previously all-male Scots Guards Band.

Theo Ray – Kiwi Indie singer hits LA

From Indie chart success in New Zealand and Australia, to a #2 single ‘Smell’ in Europe, to the darker side of Asia and beyond, Theo Ray is now based…

Now, if we could just send some of those country singers to New Zealand

Tim Finn, Say It Is So (review). (1–16 March 2)  

Piping up a storm down under

Cultural history was made as the massed bands of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo played in front of a sell-out crowd in New Zealand, the first time in its 50-year…